Bangalore met department says rains will continue till October

Don’t shun those umbrellas and raincoats yet, for the rains are here to stay. Even as the state was expecting a shift in the weather trough, the meteorology department is saying that the wet spell would continue.

Even though monsoons in India are for four months, starting May-end and extending till September, rain this year will continue through October as the north-east winds are fast approaching the subcontinent.

B Puttanna, director of the Department of Meteorology, said: “There is a low pressure trough forming above Bay of Bengal which will bring rain to the city for the next two days. But the south-west monsoons will take more time to recede. We were expecting it to move north wards by the end of this month, but it does not seem to be moving at great speed.”

North-east winds coming in from the Bay means rainy season is not over yet. “Even if the westerlies frizzle out, the easterly winds will bring in significant amount of rain in October too. People, gear up,” he added.

With rain lashing Coastal Karnataka, the meteorology department has sounded a flood warning in most parts of the state.

Moderate to heavy rainfall/ thundershowers would occur at most places over all districts of Coastal Karnataka and at many regions in the ghat of South-Interior Karnataka. Light to moderate rain/thundershowers would occur at many places over the remaining districts of South-Interior Karnataka and at a few places over all the districts of North-Interior Karnataka," he added.

Food output, health to take a battering
If food prices go up in the next few days, blame the rain. The meteorological department has cautioned that, as the rains are already 22% in excess of the normal and with the wet spell poised to continue in the coming days, it could spell disaster for the standing crops as well as farming prospects.

A shortage in a range of food crops could mean the prices spiralling in the days to come.

“South-west monsoon is not going anywhere. We have had rain 22% in excess and it will go on for another month at the least. This will affect the Kharif and Rabi crops which are grown in these months,” director, meteorology department, B Puttanna, told DNA.

The most-affected crops would be cotton, jowar, potato, ragi, paddy and sugarcane. “With excess rain, the seeds get washed away leaving the farmers in dire straits. More rain is expected over the next few days. In case of potato and onions, the crops could decay and that could lead to a steep rise in prices of the crops. It is advisable that they plan their harvest now,” he explained.

A warning has been sounded along the coast where excess rain has damaged crops. “Heavy rain would occur at isolated places over Coastal Karnataka and hilly areas in South-Interior Karnataka in the coming days and thundershowers will occur in the coming week,” he said.

An official in the agriculture department said the expected 24% growth in food crops may not happen this year.

“Last year, we saw a 20% growth in Kharif crops like sugar cane, cotton and paddy. But that was only a marginal increase. This year, we wanted to increase it by another 10%. But that seems bleak now as the monsoon seems to be at its worst. We have had floods in many areas, including Udupi and Uttara Kannada where paddy and Sugarcane are grown in plenty,” he said.

With the Kharif season almost ending, the agriculture department has seen only 91% of sowing this year, against 94.3% last year.

On the target yield, BK Dharmarajan, additional director of the Department of Agriculture (in-charge of crop development), said: “We had set a target of 74.64 lakh hectare of sowing this Kharif season, but we only managed 68.12 lakh hectares.”

With Rabi crop season (winter crops) starting from October, a target of 36 lakh hectare of sowing is expected by the department.

“We don’t want to end up having the same issue that we had with the Kharif season. So, we are having a conference on Rabi crops with all the state and district heads meeting at Delhi. We will discuss with farmers and give them suggestions on what can be done to improve sowing and the crop yield,” he said.

...and it may cause mood swings
f you wake up in the morning feeling low and irritated, blame it on the cloudy, gloomy weather. Mood swings and that irritable feeling are just a tag-along with the weather, say doctors. The city has seen an excess of over 20 per cent rain compared with last year. The daily rains have not only disrupted routine activities of people but also led to major changes in their moods.

Speaking about it to DNA, Dr Shashidhar Buggi, director of Rajiv Gandhi Institute of Health diseases, said, “It is a common phenomenon. Rainy season is accompanied by depression. It is mainly because one cannot go about their daily businesses due to unpredictable rains. It also has a major effect on people as it can get monotonous and boring.”

Not just that; your nose could make your life miserable. “It is a period where more issues like allergies and irritations will occur in the lungs and chest. People with chest infections must take a lot of precautions as rainy season is the peak season for such infections,” he added.

Skin and hair problems would also occur due to rains, doctors said, adding that moisturising and getting the skin protected becomes mandatory as the cold weather is impending. Dr Shetty, director of Dr Shetty’s Skin & Cosmetic Clinic, said: “It is a period of transition from hot to cold weather. This is the time to take care. Using mild cleansers and moisturising creams within two minutes of bath is the right way to go about it.”

More allergies like Psoriasis and exima on the skin may also occur in this season. “This is because, there is lack of moisture in the air. Using a mild lotion may help in relieving the pain and irritation in the skin,” he added.

Hair fall is usually excessive in this season and doctors say it is because of lack of moisture in the air leading to dandruff that causes the problem. “Anti-dandruff shampoos in the market and regular oiling could save you from that problem. Beware, the change of weather can be damage skin and hair,” he said.