Excess rainfall in half of India

New Delhi : Nearly half of the country received excess rainfall in August, which recorded 15 per cent more precipitation than normal, according to data shared by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

This is the second consecutive month the country recorded above normal rainfall. June recorded deficient rainfall at 87 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA), while July saw above normal rainfall at 109 per cent of LPA. August recorded rainfall at 115 per cent of the LPA.

The current LPA is 89 cm, the average rainfall in the period between 1951 and 2000. The overall rainfall departure in the country from June 1 to August 31 is zero per cent, K Sathi Devi, head of the National Weather Forecasting Centre said. September, the last leg of the four-month rainy season, is expected to receive normal rainfall, D Pai, head of the IMD Pune said.

He added that El Nino, the phenomenon associated with the heating of Pacific waters, and that is also believed to have an impact on the Indian monsoon, has turned neutral. Pai said there is a positive India Ocean Dipole, a phenomenon associated with cooling of the Indian Ocean waters.

The south peninsula division comprises all states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and the union territories of Puducherry, Andaman and Nicobar islands and the Lakshadweep.

The states of Karnataka and Kerala saw heavy rainfall in August. The central India division consists of 10 subdivisions covering states of Gujarat, Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha.

Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat also saw heavy rainfall and flooding in August.