Team Herald
PANJIM: August, this year, ended with 49 per cent deficit rainfall, after witnessing excess showers for the two consecutive seasons. August recorded the lowest rainfall of the decade with only 14 inches of rains (361 cm).
The entire country recorded dip in rainfall in August. There was almost 24 per cent less than what was predicted by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for the month. The rains are expected to spike in September.
As per Goa IMD observatory, August recorded 361 cm (14) inches of rainfall, as against its normal average of 702.3 cm (27 inches). “A 49 per cent of rainfall deficit was recorded for the month,” said IMD Goa in-charge Rahul.
Rahul explained that one of the climatological features associated with monsoon is called the monsoon trough, which comes along a line on pressure charts across India starting North West to North Bay of Bengal. He said that when these line shifts to its north and towards Himalayas, monsoon activity becomes comparatively weaker.
“Throughout the month o August, on majority of the days, trough was to the North of its normal position,” he explained.
Rahul said that monsoon becomes active and vigorous over Goa when circulations or low pressure areas develop over East coast. “That too were, only one or two weak systems this August compared to the past two years. Any story circulations over Konkan too were not present this August,” said Rahul.
Last year, August recorded 1171 cm (46 inches) of rains, while the 2019 situation was almost similar as the month received 1159 cm (45 inches) of showers.
This year’s August rains are also the second lowest in last two decades and third since 1970. It was way back in 1999 that saw 281 cm of rains in August and thereafter it was in 2009 that recorded 327cms of rains.
The 2021 season that begun from June 1, with actual onset of monsoon over Goa on June 5, has so far recorded 103.23 inches (2622.2mm) of rainfall which is below the normal average of 105.66 inches (2,683.9mm) for the State.
