The Hindu Business Line : March rainfall below normal

MARCH rainfall has returned a slightly discouraging record for Kerala with the actual precipitation (2.9 cm) trailing the normal (3.8 cm) even as south peninsular India experienced excess rain (+92 per cent) during the fortnight ending March 16.

Four northern districts in the State failed to open their account during the period under reference, said Mr M.D. Ramachandran, Director, Thiruvananthapuram Met Office.

The quantum of rain that failed to fall in these areas may not add up to much (the normal amounting no more than a cm in some cases) but it is feared to play havoc with the ground moisture levels as also access to potable water during the period leading up to the advent of pre-monsoon showers by mid-April.

One notable feature about the season has been that the temperature levels have mostly fallen well below the highs recorded during the previous year. This has held true across the geographical regions on the State, and may have helped keep things really cool in these parts.

Contrastingly, the rainfall was more or less equally distributed across the State during January and February. The Met Office attributed the sudden tilting of scales in March to purely localised factors. Summer rains are nothing but the outcome of cumulonimbus cloud formations with a footprint extending to no more than the limits of a given geographical area.

For instance, Kanjirappally in Kottayam recorded isolated heavy rain of five cm during the 24 hours ending 8.30 a.m. on Thursday. Isolated rain or thundershowers have been reported from other parts of the State as well. Dry weather prevailed over Lakshadweep.

Meanwhile, the Crop Weather Watch Group of the Union Agriculture Ministry has stated that the all-India weighted rainfall for the week ending on March 16 was above normal by 21 per cent (actual 7.7 mm, normal 6.4 mm) in 22 out of 36 meteorological sub-divisions of the country. It was deficient/scanty in eight sub-divisions. There was no rain in the rest six.

The all-India weighted rainfall for the pre-monsoon season (March to May) was above normal by 8 per cent (actual 15.5 mm, normal 14.3 mm) till March 16. The north-west (-14 per cent) and the north-east (-3 per cent) returned normal rain figures while the rest returned excess figures of +72 per cent (in Central India) and +92 per cent (in the Southern Peninsula).

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

Stories in this Section
MCX sets record in physical delivery of silver

Loans against warehouse receipts for farmers — Corpn Bank ties up with MCX

March rainfall below normal

In troubled waters

Rubber trading to resume tomorrow

Goodricke group bullish on biz prospects

Spot gold may head lower

A crucial IRMA meeting for Kurien

Base import prices of palm, soya oil hiked

Cashew exports set to cross Rs 2,600 cr

Banking on hope