This year’s monsoon was marked by El Niño conditions. Meanwhile, IMD said El Niño conditions are the reason for the deficit and below-average rains. For the unversed, the southwest monsoon remained subdued to some extent up below-average rainfall this year. The India Meteorological Department said Saturday, September 30, 2023, is the date that marks the end of monsoon season in the mainland of the country. But this year, some conditions caused below-average rainfall in the four months of the rainy season from June to September. People who are connected with agriculture or who somehow remain dependent on rainfall, very well know this monsoon the cumulative rainfall was below average. For the unversed, we have come up with this article to inform what IMD stated in its statement. Keep reading this article and take a look below.
IMD Blames El Nino for Below-Average Rains
According to the India Meteorological Department, from June to September, the cumulative rainfall amounted to 820 mm which is substantially lower than the average of 868.6 mm. As per IMD, the normal rainfall activity ranges between 96 percent and 104 percent of the LPA. Last year, monsoon season recorded a “normal” amount of cumulative rain. While in 2021, the overall precipitation in monsoon was “above-normal”. IMD stated this year the cumulative rainfall was below average. However, it further stated that some positive factors mitigated some of the deficiencies caused by El Nino conditions. Continue reading this article and read more details.
Some positive factors lessened the problems caused by El Nino conditions this year and helped in ending up providing almost normal precipitation. The factors that left a positive impact include the Madden-Julian Oscillation and the Indian Ocean Dipole. Talking about the Indian Ocean Dipole, it is the difference in the sea surface temperatures between the Indian Ocean’s western parts near Africa and eastern parts near Indonesia. Shift to the next section and read more details.
Talking about Madden-Julian Oscillation, it is an atmospheric disturbance that originates in tropical Africa and travels eastward, usually, it lasts from 30 to 60 days. MJO is known for causing convection in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. , IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said during a press conference that the 2023 monsoon season ended with 94.4 percent cumulative rainfall. He said it was a near-normal condition. However, normal rainfall sometimes becomes critical for India’s agriculture landscape. Data says around 52 percent of the net cultivated area relies on it. Stay tuned.