Many parts of Haryana, Punjab, Himachal record excess rainfall for the first 10 days of October

Vijay Mohan

Chandigarh, October 11

Most parts of north-west India received widespread showers over the past 24 hours, resulting in the states of Haryana, Punjab and Himachal Pradesh recording excess rainfall for the first 10 days of October.

While rainfall in Haryana has been 577 percent above the long period average so far this month, it has been surplus by 117 percent in Himachal Pradesh and by 99 percent in Punjab, according to data compiled by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

From the morning of October 1 till the morning of October 11, Haryana received 33.9 mm rain against the normal of 5 mm for this period. Himachal Pradesh received 24.3 mm against the normal of 11.2 mm while Punjab received 8.8 mm against the normal of 4.4 mm.

The three states also received heavily surplus rains over the past 24 hours. A cyclonic circulation over Punjab and adjoining Haryana in lower tropospheric levels and a western disturbance in mid and upper tropospheric westerlies towards the south have been attributed as the cause of the rainfall.

According to the IMD, all districts in Himachal Pradesh received excess rainfall over the past 24 hours. The north-eastern and south-eastern parts of Punjab received heavy rain whereas eight districts including Amritsar, Tarn Taran, Ferozepur, Fazikla, Faridkot, Muktsar, Bathinda and Barnala remained totally dry.

Most districts in Haryana too received above normal rain over the past 24 hours. While rain was deficient in the districts of Sonepat, Rohtak and Gurgaon, the districts of Bhiwani, Mahendragarh, Rewari and Palwal did not receive any rain.

IMD data shows that in September, rainfall in these states had been above the long period average by 138.3 percent in Haryana, 24 percent in Punjab and 13 percent in Himachal Pradesh. Monsoon for this year has withdrawn from these states and from some western parts of adjoining Uttarakhand.

While the rains have brought down the maximum and minimum temperature in the region, the next five days are expected to be dry in Punjab and Haryana. Light rain and snowfall has been predicted in some parts of Himachal Pradesh.