This Article is From Oct 17, 2010

Monsoon ends, one-third country rain deficient

New Delhi: Nearly one-third of the 597 districts received deficient rains this monsoon season, which otherwise saw excess to normal falls across the country after a drought year.

Out of 597 meteorological districts for which data are available, 173 districts (29 per cent) received deficient rains, while 11 got scanty falls this season, said the End of Monsoon Season report of the weather office.

On the brighter side, 240 districts (40 per cent) received normal rains and the remaining 173 districts experienced excess rainfall in the June-September summer monsoon season.

"For the country as a whole, the rainfall for the season was 102 per cent of its long period average (LPA) of 89 cm," the Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Though June saw less than average rainfall across the country, monsoon picked up in July and August and peaked unusually in September flooding many parts of the country.

The withdrawal of monsoon was also delayed by nearly four weeks and the annual rain season began its retreat only on September 27.

Another interesting feature of this season was the absence of an all India break monsoon condition.

Break monsoon are periods of dry spell after days of continuous rainfall.

"Though there had been spells of subdued rainfall activity all through the season in different spatial and temporal scales, there was no all India break monsoon condition during this year," the IMD report said.

This season was also unique as there was no formation of depression in the north Bay of Bengal, which drives rains in the northern regions of the country.

A normal monsoon season witnesses formation of four to six depressions in the Bay, and scientists feel that this could be the reason for drought conditions in parts of Jharkhand, West Bengal and Chhatisgarh.

The monsoon system this season was driven by a string of low pressure areas in the Bay and the Arabian Sea.

"Considering season as a whole, 14 low pressure areas formed during the season including 13 over the Bay of Bengal and one over the Arabian Sea... the formation of higher number of low pressure areas compensated the adverse impact of the absence of depression during the season," the report said.

Comparing with the past years, there was only one year - 2002 - in the recorded history when there was no depression like this year.

"While the year 2002 was all India drought year, the year 2010 has been a normal year," the IMD said.
.