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The southwest monsoon, the lifeline of millions of farmers, today covered the entire country almost a month ahead of schedule, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
It also reached the National Capital Region of Delhi almost a fortnight before its usual arrival date.
The rains entered the Indian mainland on June 1, through the Kerala coast and then made a strong surge inland. In most places, it reached at least a week to 10 days ahead of its scheduled arrival date, likely to give a strong boost to the sowing of kharif crops.
In the first two weeks, rainfall across the country was almost 30 per cent above normal, IMD said. “In just 15 days, the southwest monsoon has covered the entire country, which is remarkable,” a senior IMD official said.
The met office, in its updated forecast for the 2013 southwest monsoon season released last week, had said total cumulative rainfall across India this year is expected to be normal at 98 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA).
Rains in July are expected to be normal at 101 per cent of the LPA, while in August, they are expected to be 96 per cent of LPA. Both predictions have a model error of +/- nine per cent. LPA is the average rainfall in the country in the last 50 years.
IMD classifies rainfall between 90 and 96 per cent of the LPA as below-normal; rainfall between 96 and 104 per cent of the LPA is classified as normal. Rains below 90 per cent of the LPA are considered deficient, while rains above 104 per cent are above-normal.
IMD said during the four-month southwest monsoon this year, rainfall in northwest India was expected at 94 per cent of the LPA. Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh form part of this region.
In the south comprising Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, rainfall is expected at 103 per cent of the LPA. In the drought-hit central and western parts of the country, rainfall was expected at 98 per cent of LPA, IMD said.
According to IMD’s classification, this region accounts for Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. For the northeastern states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Tripura, etc, IMD said rainfall is expected at 98 per cent of the LPA.
All these predictions had a model error of +/- eight per cent, IMD said.
It also reached the National Capital Region of Delhi almost a fortnight before its usual arrival date.
The rains entered the Indian mainland on June 1, through the Kerala coast and then made a strong surge inland. In most places, it reached at least a week to 10 days ahead of its scheduled arrival date, likely to give a strong boost to the sowing of kharif crops.
In the first two weeks, rainfall across the country was almost 30 per cent above normal, IMD said. “In just 15 days, the southwest monsoon has covered the entire country, which is remarkable,” a senior IMD official said.
The met office, in its updated forecast for the 2013 southwest monsoon season released last week, had said total cumulative rainfall across India this year is expected to be normal at 98 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA).
Rains in July are expected to be normal at 101 per cent of the LPA, while in August, they are expected to be 96 per cent of LPA. Both predictions have a model error of +/- nine per cent. LPA is the average rainfall in the country in the last 50 years.
IMD classifies rainfall between 90 and 96 per cent of the LPA as below-normal; rainfall between 96 and 104 per cent of the LPA is classified as normal. Rains below 90 per cent of the LPA are considered deficient, while rains above 104 per cent are above-normal.
IMD said during the four-month southwest monsoon this year, rainfall in northwest India was expected at 94 per cent of the LPA. Punjab, Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh form part of this region.
In the south comprising Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala, rainfall is expected at 103 per cent of the LPA. In the drought-hit central and western parts of the country, rainfall was expected at 98 per cent of LPA, IMD said.
According to IMD’s classification, this region accounts for Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Odisha. For the northeastern states of West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, Assam, Tripura, etc, IMD said rainfall is expected at 98 per cent of the LPA.
All these predictions had a model error of +/- eight per cent, IMD said.
