After surplus rain in July, monsoon rainfall 6% deficit

Karam Prakash

New Delhi, August 18

After surplus rainfall in July, the monsoon is in deficit this month. From 5 per cent above normal, the rainfall is now 6 per cent deficient for the country as a whole.

With subdued rainfall activity in the coming days, the monsoon would likely be below normal.

As per the IMD’s special report, India has received 557.7 mm of rainfall until August 17 against the long period average (LPA) of 596.2 mm. The northwest region has received above-normal rainfall, while the remaining three— east and northeast; Central; and South peninsula — have received below-normal rainfall so far.

Of the total 36 divisions, 23 have received normal rainfall while nine are still deficient. West Rajasthan and Kutch & Saurashtra regions received ‘large excess’ rainfall. Himachal Pradesh and Haryana, Delhi and Chandigarh (considered as one region) received excess rainfall. Notably, above 60 per cent rainfall activity from normal is termed as large excess while rainfall activity between 20-60 per cent is called ‘excess’.

As per the latest IMD data, Kerala (-45 per cent), Jharkhand (-37 per cent), and Bihar (-30 per cent) are the worst affected due to less rain.