Monsoon active over central India, distribution still skewed: Meteorologists

The movement of the low-pressure area will bring more rain over western and central India during at least next five days

Monsoon has been bountiful in July recording 12.2% excess rain during this month alone and 3% excess since June but the distribution of rain is still skewed with extremely heavy rain concentrated over parts of central and peninsular India, meteorologists said.

Krishna River overflows from Khodshi Dam after rains on Saturday. (PTI)

During July, there is 34% excess rainfall over central India; 35.9% excess over Peninsular India; 17.9% deficiency over east and northeast India; 7.9% deficiency over northwest India. July has been marked by flooding rains over parts of Maharashtra and Gujarat. More rain is expected over central and west India during next five days.

When cumulative monsoon rainfall since June 1 is considered for states, Haryana has a deficiency of 39%; Punjab 44%; Himachal Pradesh 38%; Jammu and Kashmir 36%; Jharkhand 42%; Bihar 38%; West Bengal 11%; Manipur 49% among other northeastern states.

“A low-pressure area is moving in the westerly direction. The movement of the low-pressure area will bring more rain over western and central India during at least next five days. But the intensity of rain over east and northeast India intensity may be les. With this low-pressure area, eastern parts got some rain but before this all cyclonic circulations and low-pressure systems that formed over Bay of Bengal crossed over South Odisha bringing rain to the south of its track. This led to most parts of north Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand etc remaining dry,” said M Mohapatra, director general, India Meteorological Department (IMD).

There is a low-pressure area near Gangetic West Bengal. The associated cyclonic circulation is likely to move west-northwestwards during the next 24 hours. The Monsoon trough is now passing through Sri Ganganagar, Sikar, Gwalior, Sidhi, centre of low-pressure area over Gangetic West Bengal and adjoining north Odisha and thence eastwards to north Bay of Bengal. A cyclonic circulation is also lying over northwest Uttar Pradesh and extends upto 1.5 km above mean sea level. An off-shore trough at mean sea level is now running along South Gujarat to north Karnataka coast.

IMD has recommended that farmers make provision for draining out excess water from crop fields to avoid water stagnation in Sub Himalayan West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, East Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, Konkan & Goa, Ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. Delay transplanting of rice and vegetable seedlings in Konkan and ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra and provide mechanical support to horticultural crops; staking to vegetables.

During August 1 to 7, monsoon troughs are likely to be active and near normal or south of their normal position during most days of the week. The shear zone likely to prevail over north peninsular India in middle tropospheric levels during most days of the week. Off-shore trough along west coast is likely to prevail during the week, according to IMD.

“Due to above favourable meteorological features, widespread rainfall with heavy to very heavy rain is likely along the west coast & central India and heavy spell over northwest, east and northeast and rest parts of south Peninsular India during most days of the week. Overall, rainfall is likely to be above normal over most parts of the central India and normal to above normal over rest parts of the country,” IMD said in its extended range forecast.