Maha sees large deficient rainfall in August, monsoon revival likely in coming days: IMD

PUNE: The Pune district has reported 68% deficient rainfall in the month of August alone due to a second dry spell of the southwest monsoon

PUNE: The Pune district has reported 68% deficient rainfall in the month of August alone due to a second dry spell of the southwest monsoon. Pune city reported a 23.7 millimetre rainfall deficiency between June 1 and August 16. On Monday, the city reported one millimetre rainfall, with day temperature at 27.5 degree Celsius and night temperature at 20.6 degree Celsius.

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Along with Pune district, other districts from madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada and Vidarbha such as Raigad, Palghar, Nashik, Ahmednagar, Aurangabad, Jalgaon, Dhule, Nandurbar, Buldhana, Akola, Amravati, Nagpur, Bhandara, Gondia, Gadchiroli, Chandrapur, Yavatmal, Wardha, Nanded, Hingoli, Parbhani, Jalna, Beed, Osmanabad, Solapur, Sangli and Latur have also reported large deficient rainfall this month. According to officials of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the largely deficient category is when actual rainfall is less than 60 to 99%. Whereas districts such as Satara, Kolhapur, Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri have deficient rainfall wherein the deficient category as defined by the IMD is when rainfall departure is less than normal by 20 to 59%. The state in turn is experiencing an overall 70% rainfall deficiency due to the second dry spell of the southwest monsoon, as per the IMD.

According to the IMD, madhya Maharashtra has seen 69% (large) rainfall deficiency between August 1 and August 16. The actual rainfall in this region was 36.2 millimetre as against the normal rainfall of 118.1 millimetre. The drought-prone region of Marathwada, too, reported large deficiency in rainfall with 81% less-than-normal rainfall in August. Even Vidarbha reported 80% rainfall deficiency this month. In Konkan and Goa, the rainfall deficiency was as high as 54% this month, IMD officials said.

Anupam Kashyapi, head of the weather forecasting department of IMD Pune said that though rainfall activity has been less in the past few days, the monsoon is likely to revive in the coming days. “In the next few days, cloudy weather is likely to continue in the city with light to isolated moderate rainfall till August 18. However, the ghat areas around Pune city are likely to receive heavy rainfall. The day and night temperatures will be pleasant,” he said, adding that various weather systems are likely to revive the monsoon over Maharashtra.

Elaborating on weather systems, Kashyapi said, “There is a low pressure area off Odisha. As soon as this system is formed, the monsoon is likely to revive due to the movement of these weather systems. Till August 19, the monsoon will be active in Maharashtra and in some areas, the monsoon will be rigorous.” In the past one-and-a-half week, there was no warning for any sub-divisions in the state as no weather systems were active and rainfall activity had subdued, he explained.

“However Marathwada, madhya Maharashtra, Vidarbha, and Konkan and Goa will have isolated heavy rainfall till August 18. In madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada, there is a possibility of thunderstorms and lightning as well till August 18. For madhya Maharashtra, Nashik, Pune, Kolhapur and Satara districts, there will be heavy rainfall on August 17 and very heavy rainfall is likely on August 18,” he said, adding that rainfall activity will reduce from August 19.

With the monsoon likely to revive in the state, many districts are likely to see good rainfall in the remaining days of August.