Hyderabad: The Southwest Monsoon 2023 which concluded recently had 'below-normal’ rainfall with 60 percent of district-wise daily rainfall data showing large deficits of over 60 percent or no rain, a report has said. According to the report by 'Carbon Copy' on climate trends, 73 percent of country received normal rains but district-wise data revealed opposite trends for the southwest monsoon.
The report said that there were about 6 percent of the 81,852 normal district rain days during the monsoon. It said that India saw second highest number of heavy rain events of over 115.6 mm rainfall received in the last five years. According to the report, August was the worst performing month, with over 76% of district rain days registering large deficits or no rain. The month of July was the best performer and a saviour from a possible disaster, the report said.
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July, it said, recorded 13% excess rainfall, which was the second highest since 2005. The month compensated for the underperformance of June that had ended with a deficit of 10% rainfall. The report said that August, the core monsoon month collapsed completely with 36% rainfall deficiency. Over the floods during the monsoon season, the report said that India recorded 544 floods and heavy rainfall events during the entire season.
Among the states, Himachal Pradesh ranked one with 123 extreme events, followed by Maharashtra with 69 events, Uttarakhand with 68 events, it added. The report said that the timely revival of the monsoon saved the country from the scare of yet another potential drought. Out of 36 meteorological subdivisions in the country, 26 subdivisions recorded normal rainfall, constituting 73% of the area of the country, it said.
According to the report, seven subdivisions recorded deficit rainfall that covers 18 percent of the area of the country while only three subdivisions witnessed excess rainfall amounting to an area of 7 percent.
