GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 19th Oct. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced that the Southwest Monsoon has completely withdrawn from India on October 19, which is four days later than the usual date of October 15.
The monsoon had initially started retreating from the country on September 25, eight days after the normal date.
Normally, the Southwest Monsoon arrives in Kerala by June 1 and covers the entire country by July 8. It then begins to withdraw from northwest India around September 17 and completely withdraws by October 15.
The IMD stated that with the arrival of easterly/northeasterly winds over southern peninsular India, the Northeast Monsoon rainfall activity is expected to begin in the next three days. However, the initial phase of the Northeast Monsoon is predicted to be weak.
During the four-month monsoon season (June-September), India experienced “below-average” cumulative rainfall of 820 mm, compared to the long-period average (LPA) of 868.6 mm. This was due to the strengthening El Nino conditions.
However, the IMD mentioned that positive factors such as the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) and the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) helped mitigate some of the rainfall deficiency caused by El Nino, resulting in “near normal” precipitation.
Before 2023, India had recorded “normal” to “above-normal” rainfall in the monsoon season for four consecutive years.
Rainfall between 96% and 104% of the LPA is considered normal.
El Nino conditions, characterized by warmer waters in the Pacific Ocean near South America, are associated with weaker monsoon winds and drier conditions in India.
The IOD is determined by the difference in sea surface temperatures between the western parts of the Indian Ocean near Africa and the eastern parts near Indonesia.
The MJO is a large-scale atmospheric disturbance that originates in tropical Africa and moves eastward, typically lasting 30 to 60 days. It is known for increasing convection in the Bay of Bengal and the Arabian Sea.
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