Team Herald
PANJIM: The second-week of September has been a dry-spell of the current monsoon season, with the month receiving only 42mm of showers in the first half, which is hardly 15 percent of the total month’s average rainfall. IMD Observatory in Goa is hoping for a revival of the season this week.
After initial spells of surplus rains in the first 45 days of the South-West monsoon season, the State is now slogging to touch the average mark. The state is currently facing 17% deficit and surprisingly, with less than 15-days left for the season to end, it has not even touched 100 inch mark. The total seasonal rainfall as of now is 2359mm (92.8 inches), while the average till date is 2859mm (112.3 inches). The onset of south-west monsoons over Goa was on June 8 and by July 15 it had witnessed almost 1571.3 mm (61.8 inches) of rainfall, which was surplus rainfall of 17 percent. However, since July end till date, the monsoon has not been very active over the coast.
IMD Goa observatory claimed that the monsoon has been very weak for the month of September. “From September 9 to September 15 there were no spells of rains. This period can be attributed to dry spell,” IMD Goa director M L Sahu told HERALD. He said that September, which is normally considered as the month of monsoon revival, has witnessed only 42mm of rainfall in the first half, while the month’s total average is 270mm. “If we study the trend over last ten years, September month has received rainfall above normal always. Last year infact, it had covered up the total season rainfall by six percent,” Sahu explained.
For the year 2017, the total seasonal rains till August 31 were around 2146mm, with 20 percent deficit. However, September month received over 400mm of rains thus reducing the deficit to 14 percent. “So, we are hopeful that this time too, we may get some good rains,” he said. Director informed that a low pressure area will be developed over Bay of Bengal by Tuesday, bringing in moderate rains to Goa coast on September 21, 22 and 23. “The monsoon activities are expected to be reviewed by September end. If we don’t get good rains in the second half of the month, situation will be worse,” Sahu said. After a gap of a week, the monsoon activities were reported in parts of the State on September 16 and 17.
