The India Meteorological Department said on Monday that the country recorded its highest rainfall since 1994 in this year’s official monsoon season, The Indian Express reported. The monsoon was “above normal” this year, the weather department said.
However, monsoon remains active in some parts of the country, and its withdrawal is likely to commence from northwest India around October 10, the IMD said. This could be the longest recorded delay in the monsoon’s withdrawal, according to the weather department.
The monsoon season officially runs from June 1 to September 30.
This year, the monsoon rainfall was 110% of the long period average, which is the average precipitation recorded for the four-month period between 1961 and 2000. The country had recorded “below normal” rainfall in 2018.
This year, the monsoon arrived in Kerala on June 8, a week late, and there was a deficit of 33% in the June precipitation. However, in subsequent months, the rainfall was above normal, the weather department said.
August recorded rainfall that was 115% of the long period average, the most since 1996. The rainfall in September was 152% of the long period average, the highest since 1917, the IMD said.
“After 1931 this is the first time the seasonal rainfall is more than LPA even after the June rainfall deficiency was more than 30% of LPA,” the weather department said. “After 2010, this is the first time, rainfall during all the last three months was above LPA. The highest cumulative rainfall during August-September [130%] has been recorded in 2019 after 1983.”
The weather department said that of its 36 subdivisions, Madhya Pradesh, Saurashtra and Kutch recorded rainfall in “large excess”. However, Delhi recorded a deficit of 38%, the lowest in India’s capital since 2014. An unidentified IMD official said that the city received 404 mm of rainfall this season, compared to the 30-year average of 648.9 mm. Delhi had recorded excess rainfall in the previous two years.
At least 140 killed in floods in last four days
Meanwhile, over 140 people have been killed due to rain and floods in the country in the last four days. Of these, 93 deaths have been reported from Uttar Pradesh since Thursday, while the toll in Bihar is 29. The weather department has predicted more rain in several states in the next two days.
Almost all areas of Patna were under knee-deep water on Monday. Normal life has been affected as hospitals, medical stores and other shops are submerged. The state capital has received a “totally unexpected” 200 mm of rainfall since Friday evening, Disaster Management Department Principal Secretary Pratyay Amrit said.
In Uttar Pradesh, a flood warning was issued in 28 districts. The Ganga is flowing above the danger level in Ghazipur and Ballia districts while Kuano river is flowing above the danger mark in Gonda district.
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