IMD marks 9 states in red due to monsoon rainfall deficit

As many as nine states and one UT from the area covered by Southwest Monsoon have received deficit rainfall with Kerala registering the maximum, minus 55 percent less than the expected as of date, IMD data showed on Monday. 

Due to the absence of a supportive system, the monsoon progress has been slower than expected apart from sending several areas worrying about a shortfall in rainfall. India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the northern limit of monsoon, as on Monday, passed through Deesa, Ratlam, Shivpuri, Rewa, and Churk, pushing only a little ahead after a hiatus of four days.

In IMD parlance, rainfall that shows minus 20 to minus 59 percent departure from normal, i.e. the long period average (LPA) for that region/state, is termed as 'deficit'. Similarly, normal rainfall is between minus 19 percent to plus 19 percent range of the LPA.

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In descending order, as of date, Kerala received 260.7 mm of rainfall against 577.8 mm as per its long period average (minus 55 percent), Gujarat received 48.3 mm against 90.1 mm (minus 46 percent), Jharkhand received 89.3 mm of rain against 160.2 mm (minus 44 percent), Odisha received 118.1 mm rainfall as against 181.6 mm (minus 35 percent), Maharashtra received 120.7 mm rainfall as against 179.7 mm (minus 33 percent), and Bihar received 94.3 mm against 130.8 mm (minus 28 percent).

Chhattisgarh registered 117.6 mm rains against 157.9 mm expected (minus 26 percent), Karnataka received 137.7 mm rainfall as against 176.8 mm (minus 22 percent), Mizoram was at 362.0 mm against 384.3 mm (minus 21 percent) while the UT of Dadra and Nagar Haveli and Daman and Diu received 103.9 mm rainfall against 295.8 mm (minus 65 percent).

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From among the areas where SW Monsoon has not yet reached and is bereft of adequate pre-monsoon showers, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Himachal Pradesh have also registered minus 32, minus 53, and minus 51 percent deficit rainfall, respectively, while UT Ladakh has shown minus 24 precipitation by way of snow.

Forecasting the rainfall for June month on May 31, IMD Director General, Meteorology, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra had said, "Normal or above normal rainfall is most likely over northern parts of the south peninsula, some parts of east India and many parts of northwest & central India. Below normal rainfall is most likely over many parts of northeast India, some pockets of central & east India and southern parts of south peninsular India."