The southwest monsoon has entered an active phase across large parts of India, driven by a well-marked depression over central India that is expected to bring widespread heavy rainfall over the next 24 hours.
However, despite the revival, rainfall deficits continue to persist across much of the Hindi heartland, highlighting the uneven nature of this year’s monsoon.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the depression over east Vidarbha and adjoining west-central Chhattisgarh moved westwards at around 15 kmph during the past six hours and was centred over central Vidarbha and adjoining southern Madhya Pradesh on Friday morning.
The system is expected to continue moving west-northwestwards across Vidarbha and adjoining south Madhya Pradesh over the next day, sustaining intense rainfall across central India.
The weather system is likely to trigger heavy to very heavy rainfall over Vidarbha, Madhya Pradesh, east Rajasthan and adjoining Gujarat, while also enhancing monsoon activity across western India.
Despite this renewed burst of rainfall, the monsoon has not fully erased the seasonal deficits accumulated during June and early July, particularly across northern India.
The latest IMD state-wise rainfall data, covering the period from June 4 to July 30, shows India has received 369.9 mm of rainfall against a normal of 428.8 mm, leaving the country with an overall 14% rainfall deficit.
Several Hindi belt states continue to remain below normal. Uttar Pradesh has recorded a 26% rainfall deficit, Bihar 43%, Jharkhand 19%, Punjab 33%, Haryana 26%, Delhi 3%, and Assam 27%.
Southern states also continue to struggle as well, with Andhra Pradesh reporting a 36% deficit, Karnataka 25%, Kerala 15%, and Tamil Nadu 45% below normal rainfall.
In contrast, central and western India have witnessed a remarkable recovery. Madhya Pradesh has nearly normal rainfall with a 16% surplus, Gujarat is 3% above normal, Maharashtra is almost normal with a 1% deficit, while Rajasthan’s deficit has narrowed to 19%.
Odisha has emerged among the wetter states with a 37% rainfall surplus, and Jammu & Kashmir has received 71% above-normal rainfall.
Meteorologists say the current depression is expected to further reduce rainfall deficits over central and western India.
However, sustained monsoon systems will still be needed through August for the Hindi-speaking states to recover from the prolonged dry spell experienced during the first half of the season.
– Ends
