Monsoon starts withdrawing, MP ends up 14% short on rain

The south-west monsoon of 2015 has started withdrawing from Madhya Pradesh right on time, coinciding with the official end of rainy season in state on Wednesday.

The south-west monsoon of 2015 has started withdrawing from Madhya Pradesh right on time, coinciding with the official end of rainy season in state on Wednesday.

The MeT office announced that monsoon for the year has withdrawn from extreme northwest districts of MP including Neemuch, Mandsaur, Ratlam, Guna and those in Chambal division.

“During the next two days, monsoon withdrawal is expected from the entire western MP. From east MP, monsoon is likely to withdraw in another week,” director of RMC, Anupam Kashyapi told HT.

The normal date of withdrawal of monsoon from west MP is by October 1 and that for east MP by October 15. This time, withdrawal from east MP would be before time, Kashyapi said.

At season’s end (September 30), the state faces an overall rain shortfall of 14%, having received 823.9mm of rainfall against the expected 957.4mm, the Regional Meteorological Centre (RMC) has said.

Meteorologically, shortfall or excess up to 19% is considered normal and thus, rainfall this season would be technically considered normal in Madhya Pradesh, MeT officials said.

Eastern MP facing 31% rain deficiency

Eastern MP is a source of worry as the sub-division (including 20 districts) is facing 31% rain deficiency. The situation is worst in 13 districts (10 in east MP and three in west MP) where the rain deficiency is over 35%.

The 31 districts of West MP, however, ended up with an excess rainfall of 2%, with only three districts recording considerable deficiency of 42%.

CM asks officials to provide relief to farmers

The chief minister has already directed the officials to initiate measures to provide crop insurance and other relief to the affected farmers and special arrangements for sowing during the upcoming Rabi season.

Bhopal district ended up at almost normal rain situation, having received 976.9mm of rainfall against the expected 998.6mm of rainfall (2% deficiency).

Indore had a glut season this year with 1167.7mm of rain against expected 839.7mm, thus recording 39% excess rainfall.

With monsoon withdrawing from the state, day temperatures have started rising. On Wednesday, Indore recorded maximum temperature of 34.6 degrees Celsius and minimum temperature at 22.6 degrees - both above normal.

Bhopal recorded a maximum of 34.5 degrees - two degrees above normal and minimum of 20.0 degrees - two degrees over normal.