July ends with lowest rainfall deficit of 30% in three years for Gurugram

Gurugram received 155.05 mm rainfall in July against a normal of 221.5 mm. June, too, had ended with a deficit of 85% due to negligible pre-monsoon rainfall, making it the driest June in the past six year.

The month of July ended with a rainfall deficit of 30% in the district — the lowest in July in the last three years, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). In the same period last year, Gurugram had a deficit of 33%. In 2017, the deficit was much higher at 64%.

According to the IMD data, the first 10-odd days since the arrival of monsoon on July 5 had received very little rainfall, and had led to a deficit of around 85%. (HT FILE)

However, despite the deficit being at a three-year low, weather experts from the IMD said the shortage of rainfall, so far, is a concern for agriculture and water management, and that the deficiency is unlikely to be met in August.

Gurugram received 155.05 mm rainfall in July against a normal of 221.5 mm. June, too, had ended with a deficit of 85% due to negligible pre-monsoon rainfall, making it the driest June in the past six years.

According to the IMD data, the first 10-odd days since the arrival of monsoon on July 5 had received very little rainfall, and had led to a deficit of around 85%. However, the district received “good spells of rainfall” between July 15 and 20, and again between July 25 and 28, recovering the accumulated deficit by a large extent. As of July 28, Gurugram was short of the ‘normal’ amount of rainfall by 26%, data from the meteorological department shows.

The last time Gurugram received ‘normal’ rainfall in the month of July was in 2016, with 11% more rainfall than the normal. July is usually considered the rainiest month for the south-west monsoon.

“Northwest parts of the country have, over the last three to four years, usually witnessed a rainfall deficiency. For the last few years, monsoon has remained concentrated around central India,” said Mahesh Palawat, chief meteorologist at Skymet, a private weather agency.

IMD weather experts said sporadic rainfall is expected from August 1 till around August 10. However, the intensity is likely to reduce around August 12, and the deficit is unlikely to be met, experts said.