Date:08/08/2008 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2008/08/08/stories/2008080850411100.htm

Back Revived monsoon trims rain deficit to 1%

Vinson Kurian

Thiruvananthapuram, Aug 7 A second week of revived monsoon in the peninsula has managed to make some dent in the all-India rainfall deficit, assessed at one per cent till Wednesday (August 6).

This may suggest only a nominal improvement of one percentage point week-on-week but represents a significant turnaround on ground with three peninsular Met subdivisions lifting themselves up from the ‘red.’

The deficit is now confined to seven, three less than last week, even as the number of ‘excess’ and normal subdivisions looks up by a similar margin (29 as against 26).

Those still in the red are (deficit in percentage figures in brackets) are Marathawada (41); North Interior Karnataka (34); Madhya Maharashtra and Kerala (33 each); Coastal Karnataka (30); Nagaland-Manipur-Mizoram-Tripura (26) and Assam and Meghalaya (24).

Those in the ‘green’ territory include Telengana, Vidarbha, Saurashtra and Kutch, Gujarat Region, Rayalaseema, South Interior Karnataka and Coastal Andhra Pradesh, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) update said.

FRESH WHIRL

Meanwhile on Thursday, an upper air cyclonic circulation has formed over northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining coastal areas of north Orissa and West Bengal as a prelude to the initiation of a fresh ‘low.’

An IMD update on Thursday said the ‘low’ is likely to materialise by Friday, a day earlier than predicted.

This is fourth in the series spawned by the Bay, which found its moorings only late in the season.

The delay had led to an extended dry spell with grave implications for crucial kharif crops.

Indications are that the Bay may not be finished just yet.

Medium term outlook suggests that another ‘low’, fifth in a row, could present itself as soon as the predecessor fades away after pulverising the west coast and Gujarat.

HEAVY RAINS

Orissa, north Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and East Madhya Pradesh would start receiving fairly widespread rains from Friday to coincide with the formation of the ‘low.’

These rains are expected to continue over the next four days interspersed with heavy to very heavy spells.

Expectedly strong monsoon flows will start dumping rains over the west coast and Gujarat from Saturday.

In the south, during the 24 hours ending Thursday morning, rainfall occurred at most places over Coastal Karnataka, and at a few places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and North Interior Karnataka. Isolated rainfall occurred over Rayalaseema, Telangana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu.