The India Meteorological Department has said that the country has received the highest rainfall in August in 44 years, PTI reported on Saturday. Until August 28, the weather department recorded 25% surplus rainfall.
The rainfall this month surpassed that in August 1983, when 23.8% excess rain was recorded for the entire month. In August 1976, the country recorded 28.4% excess rainfall for the month.
This monsoon season, Bihar, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Gujarat, Goa have recorded excess rainfall, the weather department said. Sikkim has reported a large excess, and there have been floods in some states, such as Assam, Bihar and Odisha. On the other hand, Jammu and Kashmir, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland have recorded deficient rainfall.
Overall, the country has received 9% rainfall above normal this monsoon. June recorded 17% excess rainfall while in July, rainfall was 10% below normal.
The IMD’s estimate of rainfall for the second half of the monsoon season (August and September) seems to be way off the mark. The weather department had estimated that August was likely to receive rainfall that is 97% of the Long Period Average, with an error margin of 9% either way.
The Long Period Average is the average rainfall over the last 50 years. For the period 1961-2010, the average rainfall is 88 centimetres.
“Quantitatively, the rainfall over the country as a whole during the second half of the season is likely to be 104% of the LPA with an error margin of plus/minus 8%,” the weather department said in its updated forecast. Rainfall in the range of 96% to 104% of the Long Period Average is considered normal.
Reservoirs fuller than last year
Meanwhile, the Central Water Commission has said that the overall storage position of the reservoirs in the country till August 27 is better than the corresponding period last year. It is also better than the average of the last 10 years during the period in consideration, the commission said.
The basins of the Ganga, Narmada, Tapi, Mahi, Sabarmati, the rivers of Kutch, Godavari, Krishna, Mahanadi and Cauvery have better-than-normal storage position, the commission said.
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