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Deficit monsoon for two consecutive years

By Ajit Patowary

GUWAHATI, Oct 17 - India this time faced the deficient monsoon year for the two consecutive years with 86 per cent of its long time average (LPA) monsoon rainfall. Last year also, the country experienced a deficit monsoon rainfall. Years 2014 and 2015 were the fourth case of two consecutive all India deficient monsoon years during the last 115 years, said the India Meteorological Department in its end season report on the 2015 Southwest Monsoon. The report was published on Friday.

The report, however, maintained that the monsoon seasonal rainfall over North East India this time was 92 per cent of its LPA.

Out of the total 36 meteorological subdivisions, 18 subdivisions constituting 55 per cent of the total area of the country received normal seasonal rainfall and 17 subdivisions (39 per cent of the total area of the country) received deficient seasonal rainfall. One subdivision (West Rajasthan) constituting six per cent of the total area of the country received excess rainfall.

Monthly rainfall over the country as a whole was 116 per cent of the LPA in June, 84 per cent of the LPA in July, 78 per cent of the LPA in August, and 76 per cent of the LPA in September.

The observed large seasonal rainfall deficiency over the country as whole {(-)14 per cent of the LPA} was distributed among all the four broad geographical regions with highest rainfall deficiency {(-)17 per cent of the LPA) over northwest India and lowest deficiency over northeast India {(-) 8 per cent of the LPA). Within the season, except in June, the rainfall during all the other three months were below normal.

Strengthening of El Nino conditions and unfavourable phases of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) from end June to middle of July caused large rainfall deficiency during this period. Though there was revival of monsoon in the second half of the season due to the formation of two depressions � one over southwest Rajasthan and another over northeast Bay of Bengal (this system later became cyclonic storm), July ended with a large rainfall deficiency of (-) 16 per cent of LPA.

Moderate to strong El Nino conditions during the second half of the season and absence of other favourable intra-seasonal or synoptic conditions except formation of two low pressure systems (one low pressure and one depression) in Bay of Bengal, may have resulted in large rainfall deficiency {(-) 23 per cent of LPA) during the second half of the season, the report said.

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