India Receives 8% More Monsoon Rains, Highest Since 2020

Southwest monsoon rains in India hit four four-year highs this season, experiencing about 108 per cent of the long period average at 934.8 mm, data made available by the state-run weather bureau India Meteorological Department showed. A rainfall of 868.6 mm is the long-period average in India.

IMD had in its pre-monsoon forecast predicted rainfall across the country to be above normal, at 106 per cent of the long period average.

Above-normal monsoon rains helped farmers sow more crops this Kharif season and it bodes well for the overall agriculture sector, which is the mainstay source of livelihoods for millions of Indians. Above-normal monsoon rains are likely to improve gross value added (GVA) in the agriculture sector.

Bank of Baroda in a report said that the above normal rainfall not just benefitted Kharif, but upcoming Rabi sowing is also expected to do well.

Traditionally, Indian agriculture, especially the Kharif season, is heavily reliant on monsoon rainfall. However, with the spread of irrigation facilities in the country, the dependency of Kharif output on monsoon rainfall is gradually declining.

Coming back to this year's monsoon, rainfalls over Northwest India, Central India, South Peninsula and Northeast India were at 107 per cent, 119 per cent, 114 per cent and 86 per cent of their respective period average.

Out of the total 36 meteorological subdivisions, two subdivisions received large excess rainfall (9 per cent of the total area of the country), 10 subdivisions constituting 26 per cent of the total area received excess, 21 subdivisions received normal rainfall (54 per cent of the total area) and 3 subdivisions (Arunachal Pradesh, Punjab, J-K and Ladakh) constituting 11 per cent of the total area) received deficient rainfall.

The monsoon rains started in June on a weaker note, registering 89 per cent of the long-period average that month. Since July, it started to pick up. In July, August, and September, the rainfall was 109 per cent, 115 per cent, and 112 per cent of the long-period average, respectively, IMD data showed.

This year, the Southwest monsoon advanced over the south Andaman Sea and the Nicobar Islands on time (19 May 2024, nearly two days before the normal date). It set in over Kerala on 30 May 2024, against the usual normal date of 1 June and covered the entire country on 2 July 2024, against its normal date of 8 July.

The forecast for monsoon onset over Kerala for this year was correct, which is the nineteenth consecutive correct forecast for this event except year 2015 since the commencement of this forecast in 2005, IMD asserted.

The withdrawal of monsoon commenced from west Rajasthan on 23 September, with a delay of 6 days from its usual date of 17 September.