Monsoon covers all of India, says IMD
NEW DELHI: Monsoon finally advanced to Delhi on Tuesday, 16 days behind the normal schedule of June 27, as it covered the entire country five days later than usual, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday. The monsoon normally covers the entire country by July 8 even as it did so by July 19 in 2019 and August 15 in 2002. The monsoon advanced into Delhi on July 19 in 2002.
The arrival of the monsoon is announced based on factors such as wind speed, consistency of rainfall, intensity, and cloud cover. It is crucial to the country’s farm-dependent economy and arrives in Kerala first around June 1 before covering the rest of India in over a month.
The progress of the monsoon towards Delhi and neighbouring states of Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Punjab was delayed as it entered a “break spell” from June 29 to July 8. The “break” is normal for monsoon weather systems and usually lasts around a week. A longer break can affect agriculture. India receives about 70% of its annual rain during the four-month monsoon that is crucial for rice, soybean, and cotton cultivation.
IMD’s May 31 forecast for early Monsoon onset over Kerala raised hopes of fast advance across the country. But the Met department revised this at the last minute on May 30 and said the monsoon will arrive in India on June 3, two days later than the normal schedule.
The IMD on Tuesday said the monsoon further advanced into the remaining parts of the country, including Delhi, parts of Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan. It added there has been a continued prevalence of moist easterly winds from the Bay of Bengal in the lower levels for the four days.
IMD said there has been enhanced cloud cover and scattered to fairly widespread rainfall.
IMD said from 8.30 am on Monday to 8.30 am on Tuesday, Delhi’s Safdarjung recorded 2.5 cm rainfall, Ayanagar 1.3 cm, Palam 2.4 cm, Lodi Road 0.9 cm, and Ridge 1 cm. In Haryana, Gurugram received 5.1 cm rainfall, Faridabad 2.8 cm, Panipat 1 cm, Rohtak 2.2 cm, Hisar 3.3 cm, Fatehabad 3 cm. Rajasthan’s Jaisalmer recorded 7.7 cm, Bikaner 6.8 cm, and Churu 9 cm rainfall.
DS Pai, who heads IMD’s climate research and services, said their models are showing normal to above normal monsoon conditions till the end of July. “Due to development of a lowpressure system over the Bay of Bengal, Peninsular India is getting good rains. The cross-equatorial flow is also strong.” Pai said the monsoon has revived completely. “As we forecasted earlier, the monsoon started reviving from July 8, and many parts of north and northwest India started getting good rains, including Himachal Pradesh and Rajasthan. A small area however did not get rain. Today, even that area is covered.”
IMD said widespread rainfall was very likely in parts of northwest India during the next three days. Isolated heavy to very rainfall was expected in Uttarakhand, west Uttar Pradesh over the next five days and in Himachal Pradesh from Tuesday to Saturday.
A low-pressure area was over the Saurashtra coast and neighbourhood and an east-west shear zone in middle levels across Central India. Strong westerly winds were also prevailing along the west coast. Under the influence of these conditions, IMD said widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall was very likely along the west coast, adjoining inland areas, and peninsular India during the next four days. Moderate to a severe thunderstorm with lightning was very likely in Punjab, Haryana, north Rajasthan, west Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar during the next 24 hours.
Good rainfall has been a prime reason for the farm sector’s resilience for two years, and its ability last year to buck the Covid-19 pandemic.
As much as 60% of the sown area does not have access to irrigation in India, where over 150 million farmers and nearly half of the population are dependent on a farm-based income. The monsoon also replenishes 89 nationally important reservoirs critical for drinking water supply and power generation.
In its second long-range forecast In June, IMD said monsoon rainfall was likely to be normal at 101% of the long-period average (LPA) after two years of above-average rainfall. LPA is the average rainfall (88cm) recorded in India every year between June and September from 1961 to 2010. In 2020 and 2019, the monsoon was above normal at 110% and 109% of LPA. In 1996, 1997, and 1998, the monsoon was normal at 103.4%, 102.2%, and 104%, according to IMD.