New Delhi:
Monsoon has brought bumper showers this year, with the country receiving a remarkable 68 per cent surplus rainfall till June 17, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said.
Statistics released by the IMD yesterday say 29 out of the 36 subdivisions have received excess rainfall so far.
(In Pics: Rain storms through North India)According to the data, the normal expected rainfall in the country from June 1 to June 17 is 67.2 mm, while the rain gauges have measured 112.9 mm of rain so far, which is 68 per cent more than normal.
(Send us your pics & videos)Of the 36 subdivisions, excess rains have been received in 29, normal in three, deficient in one and scanty in the remaining three. (
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"This surplus is fortunately very well spread. As of now 91 per cent of the geographical area of the country has received either normal or excess which is a very positive sign," said IMD Chief LS Rathore.
"It is a crop sowing stage and rainfall at this stage is very crucial. Only 9 per cent of the geographical area of the country primarily confined to East and most of it in North-East is where rainfall is either deficient or scanty," he said. Mr Rathore added that north-eastern India had received a very good pre-monsoon rainfall.
Talking about Uttarakhand, which has been lashed by very heavy rains in the last couple of days, the IMD chief said, "For another 24 hours, Uttarakhand will continue to get some rainfall...thereafter progressively the system is likely to move towards East, so also the rainfall bank is going to migrate to East India and thereafter particularly beyond 20th of June the rain will pick up in the north-eastern region," he said.