Haryana most rain deficit state in northern India

Haryana received 232.8mm rainfall between August 1 and 28 against a normal of 351.5 mm, leading to the high deficit.

At 35%, Haryana recorded the highest rainfall deficiency among northern states in August. The deficit is second only to Manipur (61%) in the country, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

An aerial view of Gurugram at night, in India, on Sunday, December 30, 2018. (Yogendra Kumar/HT PHOTO)

According to meteorologists, rainfall in August made up for the deficiency that most states had recorded in June and July. This month, most states witnessed normal showers, while excess rainfall was recorded in a few states, including Rajasthan, Punjab and Madhya Pradesh, as per the IMD data. However, Haryana received 232.8mm rainfall between August 1 and 28 against a normal of 351.5 mm, leading to the high deficit. Most districts in the state, including Gurugram which recorded 38% deficiency, were rain-deficit. As on Wednesday, Faridabad was also 37% rainfall deficient.

Weather experts said that August did not see any significant weather phenomena over Haryana.

The region receives monsoon rain due to an interaction between the low-pressure circulations formed over the Bay of Bengal that move from the east to the west, and the Western Disturbances that move from the west to east.

“Weather systems forming over Bay of Bengal reached Rajasthan and occasionally interacted with the Western Disturbances causing heavy rainfall there and in central India. However, this interaction remained elusive over Haryana and Delhi,” senior IMD scientist Kuldeep Srivastava said, adding that this is a part of monsoon variability.

The axis of the monsoon trough also remained south of its normal position for most of August and caused rainfall over Rajasthan and Madhya Pradesh, experts said. Punjab, however, received normal rainfall due to the axis of the trough being near the foothills of the Himalayas, they said.

As per Skymet, a private weather service, the axis of the trough is likely to move towards Haryana and Delhi around August 31, and is likely to cause light to moderate rainfall. However, it is unlikely to meet the deficit, experts predicted.

So far this monsoon, Gurugram has witnessed patchy and discontinuous rainfall. Its heaviest spell was on August 13 when the city received 55mm rain.

Meanwhile, Delhi recorded a rainfall deficit of 28%, as of Wednesday. Only north Delhi received normal rainfall this August. According to experts, Delhi received light to moderate rainfall last week, which lowered the deficit to some extent.