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New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the southwest monsoon completely departed from India on Thursday, four days after the normal date of October 15. The northeast monsoon, which brings winter rains, is likely to arrive in the next three days.
The evacuation, which takes up to a month, began on September 25, with a seven-day delay. Usually, the southwest monsoon hits Kerala by June 1 and reaches the entire country by July 8. It begins its retreat from northwest India around 17 September.
The 2023 southwest monsoon season was not only the weakest in five years, but also had irregular rainfall distribution. June saw 9% less rainfall than normal, while July brought torrential rains and floods in human areas of northern India. August was the driest month on record in 100 years, with rainfall 36% below normal. There was some improvement in September with 13% above normal rainfall, but the four-month monsoon season ended with 6% below normal rainfall.
Rains during the June-September season affect a large part of India’s $3 trillion economy. It accounts for about 75% of the country’s annual rainfall, which plays an important role in agriculture, replenishes reservoirs and aquifers, and helps meet electricity demand.
More than half of India’s cultivable land is rain-fed and agriculture is one of the largest employment generators.
“With the establishment of easterly or north-easterly winds over southern peninsular India, northeast monsoon rainfall activity is likely to commence over southern peninsular in the next 72 hours. However, the initial phase of Northeast Monsoon is likely to be generally weak,” the IMD said.
The south-west monsoon is also important as it ensures soil moisture when farmers start sowing Rabi, or winter crops like wheat, the main crop of the season, gram (gram), mustard etc.
Meanwhile, Wednesday’s cyclonic circulation persists over the southeast Bay of Bengal at lower tropospheric level. Under its influence, a low pressure area is likely to form over central parts of the Bay of Bengal by the morning of October 21, and is likely to turn into a depression over west-central Bay of Bengal around October 23. Due to this, wind speed may reach 35-45 kmph gusting to 55 kmph over East-Central Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep today and may gradually reduce thereafter.
IMD has advised fishermen not to venture into the sea between Thursday and Monday.
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Updated: October 19, 2023, 02:54 PM IST
