The Hindu Business Line : Bountiful reverse monsoon makes up for past deficit

ALMOST 50 days after the end of a deficit southwest monsoon, some of the worst affected regions of the country are relishing the ongoing spell of rain generated by regional weather systems.

The precipitation in the northwest may continue for some more weeks, according to Dr M. Rajeevan, Director-Forecasting, India Meteorological Department (IMD), Pune. This should help the country have a good rabi crop this year, he told Business Line.

A busy typhoon season in the Western Pacific and an evolving El Nino phenomenon have had a bearing on the southwest monsoon in the country. The hot and dry Northwest suffered a severe moisture stress and was left scanning the skies for inbound western disturbances for some rain activity.

But these seasonal weather distances seem to have delivered ever since. All strategically important growing areas recorded `excess' rain during the 45-day-period immediately following the June-September period.

These areas and the recorded rain in percentage figures are: Punjab (+96), Himachal Pradesh (+71), Haryana (+222), Western UP (+48), East Rajasthan (+107), West Rajasthan (+247) and Uttaranchal (+31).

Significantly, some areas in the neighbourhood such as Western MP and Saurashtra also recorded normal precipitation. Gujarat (-17) was the only exception to the trend.

Winter precipitation brought about by the western disturbances is crucial for rabi crops over northwest India, said Dr Rajeevan, who is heading a research project that attempts to predict the extent of winter precipitation caused by western disturbances.

Splash in the South: Meanwhile in the South, stronger easterlies in the lower atmosphere and associated waves have brought about abundant rain in Tamil Nadu (+39) and, to a lesser extent, Kerala (+9).

Even though conditions are not very conducive for tropical cyclones (this being the season) to develop, small systems such as the easterly waves may continue to aid good rainfall activity in the South, Dr Rajeevan said.

These easterlies are the products of regional climate anomalies, which are in turn linked to the warming of the Central Pacific. El Nino is normally known to go before a bountiful northeast monsoon.

A study by US scientists on the global impact of an El Nino on rainfall has shown that, in an El Nino year, rainfall deficiencies can be expected over central and northwest India during the southwest monsoon season and rainfall excesses in the following northeast monsoon season over Kerala, Tamil Nadu and Sri Lanka. Prevailing weather conditions prove this.

Earlier this year, the International Research Institute for Climate Prediction at Columbia University also forecast a bountiful northeast monsoon for extreme southern parts of India and Sri Lanka.

More Stories on : Economy | Climate & Weather | Kerala

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Infosys, Reliance, Tata, Wipro among world's most respected cos

Inflation up on costlier petro products

Bountiful reverse monsoon makes up for past deficit

Maran's 10-point action plan for BSNL, MTNL to face competition

More withdrawals from WHO list; US scrutiny — Indian pharma companies face testing times

Pharma stocks move southward

Reliance drags indices down

Textile industry gets a fillip through TUFS

Mallya to hold talks with global brewers

Madura Garments set to bring Armani to India

Notification issued on rubber exports subsidy — Sops for all grades cut by half for current fiscal