Countrywide rainfall performance till first week- October 1 to October 7
The Southwest Monsoon season has come to an end, and the Northeast Monsoon which is primarily responsible for giving rain to Peninsular India, particularly Tamil Nadu will make onset soon. Though the Northeast Monsoon is yet to arrive, all the rains in October will be recorded in the Northeast Monsoon season as Southwest Monsoon ends in September.
So far rains have been poor in October. Only one region –Peninsular India – out of the four regions of North India, East and Northeast India, Central India and Peninsular India has observed good rains this week.
According to the rainfall data available with Skymet Meteorology Division in India, only Peninsular India has ended with a surplus of 22%. Rainfall in East and Northeast India is deficient by 74%, while Central India is staring at a deficiency of 55%. The region that has been practically dry this week is North India, where the deficiency is a whopping 99%.
All the deficient sub-divisions have received less than normal daily rainfall of 3 mm to 4 mm. And the total amount of rain observed in the country till October 7 is a meagre 15.7 mm against the weekly average of 27.9 mm.
The countrywide rainfall deficiency as on October 7 is 44%. The total number of sub-divisions that have been deficient, scanty or haven’t observed any rain this week are 28, which is 79% of the total area of the country.
Countrywide rainfall performance till second week- October 8 to October 14
Weather activity in terms of rain across the country has not been good this week. The countrywide rainfall deficiency during the week is a whopping 51%, while the overall deficiency from October 1 to October 14 is 47%.
According to the rainfall data available with Skymet, the country has observed 10 mm of rain this week against the average of 20.4 mm. Excess rains have been received in only four sub-divisions of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Rayalaseema and Lakshadweep.
The central and northern parts of the country have almost been dry. Rainfall in East India has also been deficient this week.
And Southwest Monsoon has withdrawn from some more parts of Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, entire Maharashtra, Gujarat and northern parts of Peninsular India, thereby reducing rainfall amounts in these regions.
The countrywide rainfall deficiency as on October 14 is 47%. The total number of sub-divisions that have observed normal or excess rain during this period (October 1 to October 14) are 6, while deficient or scanty sub-divisions are 24. Six sub-divisions haven't received rain at all.
Countrywide rainfall performance till third week- October 15 to October 21
This week first active Western Disturbance was observed, which caused rain mainly over the hills of North India. Rains were observed in the plains as well. This could be considered as the first winter rain.
Barring Central India, which largely remained dry this week, East and Northeast India saw some rains. In Peninsular India rains were scanty. The two most rainiest pockets of Tamil Nadu and Kerala also saw light rains.
According to the rainfall data available with Skymet, the country had observed 5.8 mm of rain against the weekly average of 15.9 mm, which is 60 percent deficient. The number of sub-divisions that observed normal or excess rain this week were 5, while 31 sub-divisions had recorded deficient, scanty or no rain.
Countrywide rainfall performance till fourth week- October 22 to October 28
The week from October 22 to October 28 had been active in terms of weather activity across the country. An active Western Disturbance was observed in North India this week which gave good amounts of rain and snow in the higher reaches of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand. The plains of North India also received light rainfall activity at some places.
Weather systems had also come up in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
North India had been the main contributor of rainfall amounts this week. Peninsular India, which was supposed to be the main active pocket saw less rains. Rainfall picked up in the region only in the second week as Northeast Monsoon made onset on October 28.
According to the rainfall data available with Skymet, the country had observed 5.6 mm of rain against the weekly average of 12.3 mm. The number of sub-divisions that observed normal or excess rain this week were 9, while 27 sub-divisions had recorded deficient, scanty or no rain.
The countrywide rainfall amount from October 1 to October 28 was 36.9 mm against the normal of 76.5, which was 52 percent deficient.
Countrywide rainfall performance till fifth week- October 29 to November 4
This was the first week of Northeast Monsoon rains - Northeast Monsoon made onset on October 28 - and the rainfall amounts had been very good during this period. According to the rainfall data available with Skymet the countrywide rainfall this week was 12.5 mm against the normal of 10 mm, which is surplus.
The number of sub-divisions that observed normal or excess rain this week rose to 15 from 9 last week. While the sub-divisions that recorded deficient, scanty or no rain reduced to 17 from 27 the previous week.
Out of the 5 sub-divisions of Peninsular India, 4 sub-divisions observed good rains. Coastal Andhra Pradesh was the only pocket to record less rains. Peninsular India is the major contributor to the rainfall amounts of the country during October to December due to the Northeast Monsoon season.
With 62.5 mm of rain this week against the normal of 19.5 mm, South Interior Karnataka received the highest amount of rainfall in Peninsular India.
Other parts of the country that contributed to the rainfall amounts this week were Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar.
Countrywide rainfall performance till sixth week- November 5 to November 11
This has been the second successive week of excess rain in the country. It is for the first time that all the five sub-divisions of Peninsular India recorded excess rain.
According to the data available with Skymet, Rayalaseema observed 344% of excess rain during this week. South Interior Karnataka witnessed rainfall surplus of 156%, Tamil Nadu and Pudducherry 152%, Kerala 116% and Coastal Andhra Pradesh 46%.
Good rains this week have helped the countrywide rainfall deficiency from October 1 to November 11 drop to 35% from 51% on October 26. Rainfall received during this period was 62 mm against the normal of 95 mm.
The major contributor to these rainfall amounts have been Peninsular India, followed by the hills of North India, particularly Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh.
The plains of North India like Punjab, Haryana and Delhi observed just above normal rains. Good amounts of rain were also observed in the northeastern state of Arunachal Pradesh. The remaining parts of the country were dry.
The number of sub-divisions that observed normal or excess rain this week were 13, while 23 sub-divisions had recorded deficient, scanty or no rain.
Countrywide rainfall performance till seventh week- November 12 to November 18
Northeast Monsoon was the most active this week as extremely heavy rains lashed several parts of Peninsular India. According to Skymet Meteorology Division, it was the rainiest week of the season so far.
After 47% deficient rains in October, November has seen surplus rains during the first three weeks of the month. According to the rainfall data available with Skymet, the first week of November saw 25% of excess rains, while the second and third week were surplus by 50% and 71%, respectively.
All the five sub-divisions of Peninsular India recorded excess rains this week. Rayalaseema recorded the heaviest rain in the region due to which the surplus shot up to 443%. It recorded 89 mm of rain against the normal of 16.4 mm.
The weather system in the Bay of Bengal initially gave good rains over Tamil Nadu, particularly the coastal parts including the state capital Chennai. It then moved to give heavy rains over Andhra Pradesh as well. Tamil Nadu with 91.1 mm of rain against the normal of 36.8 mm observed a surplus of 148% this week. This includes the record breaking 24 hour rainfall of 265 mm in Chennai between November 15 and 16.
The remaining parts of the country which include Central, West, North and Northeast India were largely dry. However, good rains in Peninsular India compensated for it and the countrywide rainfall deficiency from October 1 to November 18 came down to 28%.
The number of sub-divisions that observed normal or excess rain this week were 7, while 29 sub-divisions recorded deficient, scanty or no rain.
Countrywide rainfall performance till eighth week- November 19 to November 25
This was the fourth week in continuation of excess Northeast Monsoon rains in Peninsular India. However, the other parts like North, East and Central India were largely dry.
The Northeast Monsoon this week was not only confined to the areas of Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, but it intruded into coastal Karnataka, Konkan and Goa and interior parts of Maharashtra. In fact some parts of Maharashtra received good rains this week.
Just like the previous week, all the five sub-divisions of Peninsular India observed excess rains. For instance, the state of Tamil Nadu recorded 89.3 mm of rain this week against the average of 35.7 mm, which is 150% excess. Similarly, Rayalaseema observed 56.7 mm of rain against the average of 11.4 mm.
Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Kerala recorded a surplus of 54% and 46%, respectively. While rainfall in South Interior Karnataka was surplus by a whopping 164%.
Due to good rains in Peninsular India, the countrywide rainfall deficit from October 1 to November 26 reduced to 25% from 28% last week. During this period (October 1 to November 26) the country received 80.2 mm of rain against the average of 107 mm.
The number of sub-divisions that observed normal or excess rain this week were 11, while 25 sub-divisions recorded deficient, scanty or no rain.
Countrywide rainfall performance till tenth week- December 03 to December 09
Northeast Monsoon remained active over Peninsular India during the last week. Back to back weather systems in the Bay of Bengal gave extremely heavy rains over Tamil Nadu, especially Chennai. While East and Northeast India recorded light showers during the period, remaining parts of the country remained mainly dry.
With this, countrywide weekly rainfall continued to be in excess by 30%. During this week, the country recorded 4.9 mm of rain against the monthly average of 3.8 mm. Major contribution in these rains came from Tamil Nadu and Kerala.
The countrywide rainfall deficit from October 1 to December 09 has also reduced further to 21%. During this period (October 1 to December 09) the country received 91.3 mm of rain against the average of 115.7 mm.
11 out of 33 sub-divisions of the country observed excess rain during this period, while 25 sub-divisions recorded deficient, scanty or no rain.
Countrywide rainfall performance till eleventh week- December 10 to December 16
Overall the country has received excess rains in the last week ending on December 16. In spite of South Peninsula receiving very little rainfall, the country recorded excess rains from December 10 to 16.
In South Peninsula, Kerala received good showers. Northeast Monsoon rains remained subdued over Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema.
In Northeast India, Assam and Arunachal Pradesh received the season’s first good rainfall.
The northern hills performed extremely well in terms of rainfall this week. Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh received about 200% of the normal rains. The foothills of Punjab and Haryana also received some rains.
Indo Gangetic plains, western parts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Maharashtra remained practically dry.
Odisha received 5.3 mm of rainfall from December 10 to 16, against the weekly average of 4.3 mm. Therefore, the state recorded 22% excess rains.
The country still remains rainfall deficit, for the Northeast Monsoon season, to the tune of 20%. The country has received only 96.6 mm of rainfall against the normal average of 120 mm so far.
Next week the country will receive less than normal rains. South India will not receive much rainfall. Good showers will be confined to Northeast India. Odisha and West Bengal will also receive some rains.
Image Credit: ibnlive.com
