BackSeason recorded highest-ever rainfall in country as a whole after 1994: IMD
August recorded 115% rainfall of the LPA, first time since 1996 (119%)Four-month-long rainfall season ends officially; country received 'above normal' rainfall this year
PremiumNew Delhi: India witnessed the rainiest Southwest monsoon this year after 1994, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday. As the 2019 southwest monsoon season is coming to end with above normal seasonal (June to September) rainfall, the quantitatively monsoon seasonal rainfall remained above normal category of 110% of its Long Period Average i.e. 88 cm in the country.
According to IMD, in spite of late monsoon onset and large deficient rainfall during the month of June, the seasonal rainfall ended in above normal category with 110% of its LPA. Monsoon rainfall during July, August and September were 105%, 115% and 152% of its Long Period Average respectively.
“After 1994 (110% of LPA), rainfall received in 2019 (110% of LPA) is the highest season rainfall received by the country as a whole. During 18 of the last 19 years (2001-2019), North-East India has received seasonal rainfall less than LPA with an exception of 2007 (110% of LPA)," said an IMD statement.
“This indicates that the seasonal rainfall over North-East India is passing through a below normal epoch like it was during early 1950s to mid-1980s. After 1931, this is the first time, the seasonal rainfall is more than LPA even after the June rainfall deficiency was more than 30% of LPA," it said.
After 1996 (119% of LPA), this is the highest recorded August rainfall (115% of LPA), the IMD said this is the second highest September rainfall (152% of LPA), after 1917 (165% of LPA).
“After 2010, this is the first time, rainfalls during all the last three months (July to September) were above LPA. The highest cumulative rainfall during August-September (130%) has been recorded in 2019 after 1983 (142%)," the IMD statement said.
Looking at monsoon in specific parts of the country, out of 36 meteorological subdivisions, 2 sub divisions received large excess, 10 received excess and 19 sub divisions received normal monsoon rainfall. Out of 36 sub divisions, 5 sub divisions however received deficient rainfall, but deficiency was in 20s except for Haryana, Delhi and Chandigarh where the deficiency was 42%. The 5 sub divisions accounted about 15% of total area of the country. On an average, about 20% of area of the country receives deficient or scanty rainfall during the monsoon season, the IMD officials said.
The withdrawal of southwest monsoon is likely to commence from northwest India around 10th October, 2019 against the normal date of 1st September. The most delayed withdrawal in the past years has been recorded in 1961 (1st October 1961), followed by 30 September in 2007.
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