Pre-monsoon rainfall in India from March to May records deficiency of 22%: IMD

20 May 2019 Evaluate

India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its latest report has indicated that pre-monsoon rainfall in the country from March to May recorded a deficiency. Pre-monsoon rainfall is a phenomenon vital to agriculture in several parts of the country. The IMD recorded 75.9 millimetres of rainfall from March 1 to May 15 as against the normal rainfall of 96.8 millimetres, which comes to around minus 22%. The deficiency this week seems to have fallen over the last fortnight due to rains over east and northeast India. Besides, from March 1 to April 24, the IMD recorded a deficiency of 27%. It added that the southwest monsoon has advanced into South Andaman Sea and conditions are favourable for it to reach the North Andaman Sea and the Andaman Islands in the next 2-3 days.

Of the four meteorological divisions of the IMD, the south peninsula, which comprises all the southern states, has recorded pre-monsoon deficiency of 46%, the highest in the country. This was followed by 36% in the northwest subdivision that covers all the north Indian states - it was 38% from March 1 to April 24, but has dropped by 2% due to rainfall across several parts. The deficiency in the east and northeast region that covers eastern states of Jharkhand, Bihar, West Bengal, Odisha and northeastern states was seven per cent. There was no deficiency in the central region which comprises states of Maharashtra, Goa, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh.

However, from March 1 to April 24 the pre-monsoon rainfall recorded in the central division was 5% than normal. The region has also been witnessing intense heat waves and several dams in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra have reached zero storage level. Pre-monsoon rainfall is important for horticulture crops in some parts of the country. In states like Odisha, ploughing is done in the pre-monsoon season, while in parts of northeast India and the Western Ghats it is critical for plantation of crops.

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