The monsoon was 90.3 per cent of normal in July, according to nationwide figures released by the Met department on Thursday. The month started on a sluggish note before a revival in rains around July 10, which also coincided with the fading away of the El Nino threat.
The actual countrywide average rain during the month was 260.8mm, close to the prediction of 93 per cent rains for July made by the India Meteorological Department in its updates forecast for the season.
July is among the two wettest months of the year in India and rains during the period are crucial for sowing to take place for major kharif season crops.
The overall monsoon deficit for the season — June 1 to July 31 — now stands at 22 per cent, a vast improvement over the 43 per cent deficit at the beginning of the month. The rally in rains began around July 10, with the activation of low pressure systems forming in the Bay of Bengal.
“July saw five low pressure systems forming over the Bay of Bengal in addition to a depression, which is an intense low pressure system. This compares well with the average of four to six low pressure systems generally seen in July,” said B P Yadav, director, IMD.
The resurgence in the monsoon have brought good rains in western coast as well as central and eastern India. Central regions such as Madhya Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Gujarat are particularly benefitted.
However, regions in the northwest — Punjab, Haryana and west Uttar Pradesh — are yet to received sustained spells of rains. The seasonal deficit in Punjab stands at 58 per cent, while in Haryana it is 54 per cent.
Delhi too has seen just 50 per cent of normal rains halfway into the monsoon season. These are regions where IMD has anyway predicted a bad monsoon, with northwest India projected to get a season’s total of 85 per cent rains.
August may yet prove to be better for these deficit states. IMD expects 96 per cent rainfall during the month.
