Monsoon in India: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday said that the southwest monsoon has covered the entire country today (July 2), which is 6 days against the normal date of July 8. The monsoon has also advanced in the remaining parts of Rajasthan, Punjab and Haryana. As many as 16 states and Union territories received deficient rainfall in June, with Bihar and Kerala reporting large deficits at 69 per cent and 60 per cent below normal, respectively.
Southwest Monsoon covered entire country today
“The Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab today, July 2. Thus, it has covered the entire country today, July 2, against the normal date of July 8 (6 days before the normal date of covering entire India),” the IMD said in a statement.
The weather department also predicted widespread rainfall overall across the country except in Rajasthan and Gujarat during the next five days. As per IMD, the monsoon trough at mean sea level passes through Bikaner, Dausa, Gwalior, Sidhi, Ambikapur, Balasore, and towards Northwest Bay of Bengal.
Cyclonic circulation
It further said that cyclonic circulation lies over central parts of Uttar Pradesh extending upto 5.8 km above mean sea level persists. The off-shore trough at mean sea level from south Maharashtra coast to Kerala coast persists. "The cyclonic circulation over central parts of Southwest Bay of Bengal between 4.5 and 5.8 km above mean sea level persists. A cyclonic circulation over north Andaman Sea between 1.5 and 5.8 km above mean sea level persists. The cyclonic circulation over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim at 3.1 km above mean sea level persists," IMD said.
Normal monsoon in July
Earlier on Friday, the IMD had said the monsoon is expected to be normal in July across the country, barring parts of eastern Uttar Pradesh and south Bihar. Other states such as Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana also received less rainfall than what is normal for June, the first month of the southwest monsoon season.
"The monthly rainfall averaged over the country as a whole during July 2023 is most likely to be normal (94 to 106 per cent of LPA) and most probably within the positive side of the normal," IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said on Friday.
The long period average (LPA) of rainfall over the country during July based on the data of 1971-2020 is about 280.4 mm.
The phenomenon of warming of the equatorial Pacific Ocean, called the El Nino conditions, are expected to develop in July. El Nino is known to suppress monsoon rainfall. Mohapatra said during most of the recent El Nino years, June rainfall has been within the normal range.
377 weather stations reported heavy rainfall events
"In 16 of the 25 years when June rainfall was below normal, July rainfall has been reported normal," he had said. He said 377 weather stations across the country reported heavy rainfall events - 115.6 mm-204.5 mm per day - in June, while 62 stations reported extremely heavy rains, amounting to more than 204.5 mm.
Mohapatra had said the March-to-June summer season saw heatwave conditions across 281 meteorological sub-division days (MSD), the third highest after 578 MSDs in 2010 and 455 MSDs in 2022. If one meteorological sub-division reports heat wave conditions, it is considered as one MSD.
The weather office said during July, normal to above normal maximum temperatures were likely over most parts of the country except some areas of northwest and peninsular India. It said normal to above normal minimum temperatures were likely over most parts of the country except some areas of northwest India.
(With PTI inputs)
