<keyword id="19900881" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="delhi" source="keywords">Delhi</keyword> seems to have been dealt a bad hand this year as a never-ending heatwave gripped the national capital first, followed by a water shortage crisis spurred by an increased demand for the essential commodity. These things have already ballooned into political issues and the city has been in desperate need for some relief. Fortunately, relief of some sort is here. While the ongoing rainy spell isn’t going to fully solve Delhi’s water shortage or the settle matters between the Haryana and Delhi governments, it is a start. Between January 1 and June 26, the national capital has seen less than 20 mm of rainfall, resulting in a rainfall deficiency of 61%. To make matters worse, there were whispers of a delayed monsoon progression over Delhi. Had this come true, it might’ve been the last straw for heat-stricken Delhiites and the parched landscape. However, it seems like things started to look up for the residents of Delhi when cloudy skies rolled into the city on Wednesday. Prodded by a western disturbance, rains finally began to drench Delhi last evening. In the evening, 2.3 mm, 1.3 mm and 1.3 mm of rain were recorded in Palam, Aya Nagar and Ridge, respectively. The icing on Delhiites’ cake is that the monsoon is just around the corner too! The monsoon has reached the threshold of Delhi-UP. On Wednesday, pre-monsoon rain fell in many areas of UP, including Ayodhya. As per the India Meteorlogical Department’s indications, the southwest monsoon is expected to enter Delhi by the end of this week, around June 29-30. Given these projections, the national capital and its surrounding regions can expect moderate to heavy rains (up to 115.5 mm) accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds will continue over the next seven days. Accordingly, a yellow watch has been issued over Delhi-NCR for the forecast period so as to urge locals to ‘be updated’ about the weather conditions. Meanwhile, Delhiites are currently battling the scorching heat, and there have been nine heatwave days in June so far, while there was not a single heatwave day during the same period in 2023 and 2022. Although Delhi has got some relief from the heat compared to earlier, its daytime temperatures have stubbornly remained two notches above-normal in spite of the rains. The good news is that the city’s maximum temperature is expected to gradually drop by a whole 4-5 degrees in the next few days and touch 34°C.

Delhi has recorded rainfall deficiencies of 61% so far this year, but the monsoons are almost here?

New Delhi, <keyword id="19895063" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="India" source="keywords">India</keyword> recorded <keyword id="22237285" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="below-normal" source="keywords">below-normal</keyword> <keyword id="19900585" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="rainfall" source="keywords">rainfall</keyword> in June, with the deficit standing at 11 per cent, the highest in five years, the India Meteorological Department said on Monday. According to the <keyword id="19933636" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="IMD" source="keywords">IMD</keyword> data, the country received 147.2 mm of rainfall against a normal of 165.3 mm for the month, the seventh lowest since 2001. June rainfall accounts for 15 per cent of the total precipitation of 87 cm recorded during the four-month <keyword id="19968257" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="monsoon" source="keywords">monsoon</keyword> season in the country. After making an early onset over Kerala and the northeastern region on May 30, and progressing normally up to Maharashtra, the monsoon lost momentum, extending the wait for rains in West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, and worsening the impact of a scorching heat wave in northwest India. "The country recorded 16 days of below-normal rainfall activity -- from June 11 to June 27 -- which led to overall below-normal precipitation," IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said. The IMD reported that northwest India recorded a 33 per cent rainfall deficit, central India a 14 per cent deficit, and east and northeast India a 13 per cent deficit. Only south India recorded surplus rains (14 per cent) in June. The Met office stated that 12 per cent of the sub-divisional area of the country experienced excess to large excess rainfall, 38 per cent received normal rainfall, and 50 per cent experienced deficient to large deficient rainfall. IMD data shows that in 20 out of the 25 years when June rainfall was below normal (less than 92 per cent of the long-period average), July rainfall was normal (94-106 per cent of LPA) or above normal. In 17 of the 25 years when June rainfall was below normal, the seasonal rainfall was normal or above normal, it said. The IMD had earlier forecast above-normal rainfall during the monsoon season in India, with cumulative precipitation estimated at 106 per cent of the long-period average of 87 cm. Below-normal monsoon rainfall is expected in northeast India, normal in the northwest, and above-normal in central and south peninsular regions of the country, it said. India's core monsoon zone, covering most of the rain-fed agricultural areas in the country, is predicted to receive above-normal rainfall this season, the Met office said. The monsoon is critical for India's agricultural landscape, with 52 per cent of the net cultivated area relying on it. It is also crucial for replenishing reservoirs critical for drinking water and power generation across the country. June and July are considered the most important monsoon months for agriculture, as most of the sowing for the Kharif crop takes place during this period. El Nino conditions are prevailing at present, and La Nina may set in by August-September, scientists have said. El Nino, the periodic warming of surface waters in the central Pacific Ocean, is associated with weaker monsoon winds and drier conditions in India. La Nina, the antithesis of El Nino, leads to plentiful rainfall during the monsoon season. SEE ALSO:<a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/vraj-iron-and-steel-ipo-allotment-how-to-check-allotment-ipo-gmp-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/111394752.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/stock-market/news/vraj-iron-and-steel-ipo-allotment-how-to-check-allotment-ipo-gmp-listing-date-and-more/articleshow/111394752.cms" target="_blank">Vraj Iron and Steel IPO allotment – How to check allotment, IPO GMP, listing date and more</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-and-airtel-price-hike-new-plans-and-how-you-can-save-money/articleshow/111331794.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/reliance-jio-and-airtel-price-hike-new-plans-and-how-you-can-save-money/articleshow/111331794.cms" target="_blank">Reliance Jio and Airtel price hike – new plans and how you can save money</a><a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/upcoming-smartphones-launching-in-india-in-july-2024/slidelist/111304902.cms" target="_blank"></a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/webstories/upcoming-smartphones-launching-in-india-in-july-2024/slidelist/111304902.cms" target="_blank">Upcoming smartphones launching in India in July 2024</a>

India records below-normal rainfall in June: IMD

After the month began with a 5 per cent surplus aided by a wet July, <keyword id="6358301" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="monsoon" source="Orion">monsoon</keyword> slipped into the negative zone in August with an overall deficit of 8 per cent, Motilal Oswal Financial Services said in a report. The monsoon in August so far has been 30 per cent below the long period average with South India having been particularly dry. While the northwest has received 7 per cent above normal rainfall, Central India (6 per cent below normal), South Peninsula (16 per cent below normal) and eastern and northeastern regions have witnessed deficient rainfall. El Nino has strengthened from a 'weak' to a 'moderate' state and the latest update from the US weather agencies has been that -- it can develop into a 'strong' event later this year with 66 per cent probability, the report said. Kharif sowing as of August 25 was at 0.3 per cent higher than last year. The area under paddy cultivation is now 4.4 per cent higher than last year. However, the area under pulses is still 8.3 per cent lower than last year. Production of jute, cotton and oilseeds is also lower. Coarse cereals (1.1 per cent YoY) and sugarcane (0.8 per cent YoY) continue to do well. Above normal rainfall in Telangana has led to an improvement in rice sowing. However, deficient rainfall in major rice producing states (with 56 per cent share in overall rice production) such as West Bengal (12 per cent below normal), <keyword id="6357713" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="uttar-pradesh" source="Orion">Uttar Pradesh</keyword> (14 per cent below normal), <keyword id="37102" type="General" weightage="80" keywordseo="andhra-pradesh" source="Orion">Andhra Pradesh</keyword> (14 per cent below normal), Chattisgarh (16 per cent below normal), Bihar (24 per cent below normal), <keyword id="6357961" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="odisha" source="Orion">Odisha</keyword> (10 per cent below normal), <keyword id="20154" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="tamil-nadu" source="Orion">Tamil Nadu</keyword> (10 per cent below normal) and Assam (15 per cent below normal) is a cause of concern. Deficient monsoon in states (with 64 per cent share), such as Madhya Pradesh (11 per cent below normal), <keyword id="13126" type="General" weightage="50" keywordseo="maharashtra" source="Orion">Maharashtra</keyword> (8 per cent below normal), Uttar Pradesh (14 per cent below normal), Karnataka (20 per cent below normal), Andhra Pradesh (14 per cent below normal) is affecting sowing of pulses adversely. Lower irrigation cover in all the major states would affect pulses production more. Inflation in pulses has nearly doubled in the past five months, the report said. Deficient rainfall, and consequently lower rice and pulses sowing, has pushed prices higher. Rice constitutes around 4.4 per cent and pulses has a weight of 6 per cent in the overall CPI basket. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/sports/webstories/neeraj-chopras-journey-from-a-chubby-kid-to-a-top-athlete/slidelist/103123658.cms">Neeraj Chopra’s journey from a chubby kid to a top athlete</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/telecom/news/jio-may-soon-launch-jio-airfiber-a-fixed-wireless-access-device-to-take-on-airtels-xstream-airfiber/articleshow/102948905.cms">Jio may soon launch a fixed wireless access device to take on Airtel's Xstream AirFiber</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/mobile/news/india-crosses-the-2-billion-mark-in-its-journey-to-become-a-smartphone-manufacturing-powerhouse/articleshow/102760757.cms">India crosses the 2 billion mark in its journey to become a smartphone manufacturing powerhouse</a>

Monsoon slips into negative zone in August

<ul><li>India is witnessing <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/nature-and-wildlife/article/erratic-rainfall-pattern-in-india-amid-climate-change-warns-ipcc-report-23223005">erratic</a> rainfall after suffering from intense <keyword id="190116" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="heat-waves" source="Orion">heat waves</keyword> in April.</li><li>On one hand, Assam has received <a href="https://weather.com/en-IN/india/monsoon/news/2022-06-24-southwest-monsoon-to-cover-india-entirely-between-june-30-and-july-6">too much</a> rainfall and on the other, Jharkhand has received around half of what it’s due.</li><li>We are only halfway through 2022 and India has already witnessed extreme weather patterns.</li></ul>Heatwaves somewhere, floods in other parts of the country – India has witnessed extreme weather patterns in 2022 and we are only just halfway through the year. After suffering from intense heat waves in April, Assam has received <a href="https://weather.com/en-IN/india/monsoon/news/2022-06-24-southwest-monsoon-to-cover-india-entirely-between-june-30-and-july-6">too much</a> rainfall and on the other, Jharkhand has received around half of what it’s due. <div type="image" title="rain or sun" msid="92592948" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Giphy&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> <keyword id="185923" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="erratic-monsoon" source="Orion">Erratic monsoon</keyword> in India The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/the-winds-of-change-are-changing-the-fortunes-of-indian-farmers/articleshow/92487685.cms">easterly winds</a> that bring <keyword id="6358301" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="monsoon" source="Orion">monsoon</keyword> to the Northwest India have been absent in June this year, leading to a dry spell in the region. Instead, those winds drifted to Northeast India, leading to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/the-winds-of-change-are-changing-the-fortunes-of-indian-farmers/articleshow/92487685.cms">floods</a>. As June came to an end, as per <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1542378873492344835">IMD</a>, Southwest monsoon advanced into entire Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmiri, some parts of Rajasthan, entire Delhi, some parts of Punjab and Haryana on Thursday. According to the latest EcoScope report from research firm Motilal Oswal, India’s cumulative rainfall has a reported deficit of 7% as of June 26, 2022 after reporting a surplus of 20% in 2021 and 22% in 2020. The deficiency of rainfall is because the northwestern, central and southern parts of India have a shortfall of rains, suggesting that the issue is a lot more widespread than initially expected. <div type="image" title="kharif-2" msid="92592978" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;BI India&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> A see-saw summer From long dry spells to excessive rainfall, 2022 has been a year of extremes so far. As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), April was the <a href="https://internal.imd.gov.in/press_release/20220402_pr_1551.pdf">hottest</a> month for northwest and central India and the third-hottest April the country has seen over the past 122 years, from 1901 to 2022. The daily high temperatures measured each year have also been increasing at a faster rate than daily low temperatures. This indicates that the distribution of temperature is shifting and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/02/india-heat-wave-in-pictures.html">changing</a> the ‘normal’ state. In fact, 12 of the country’s 15 <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1686173">warmest years</a> on record have occurred in the last 30 years. <div type="image" title="unnamed (6)" msid="92592990" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;BI India&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> These recurring patterns of intense hot spells and erratic rainfall could be a sign of climate change and global warming. Our country is also expected to suffer through more frequent and intense hot spells, extreme rainfall and erratic monsoons in the coming decades as the planet warms, said <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/india-s-record-heatwave-to-get-worse-authorities-blame-global-warming-122042900785_1.html">United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel</a>, a body for assessing science related to climate change. Cascading impacts of climate change This radical change in the weather is not good news for a country like India, which is heavily dependent on agriculture as it contributes <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/10/extreme-weather-becomes-the-new-normal-in-indias-main-monsoon-season/">16-20% to GDP</a>, according to Finance Ministry data. In a country like India farmers are heavily dependent on monsoons for irrigating their fields, erratic rainfall and hot summer are the bane for their cultivation. According to a <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.IRIG.AG.ZS">World Bank report</a>, as of 2015, nearly 62% of the agricultural lands in India are dependent on monsoon rains for irrigation. As of 24th Jun’22, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/the-winds-of-change-are-changing-the-fortunes-of-indian-farmers/articleshow/92487685.cms">Kharif sowing</a> is 24% lower than the area sown last year. <div type="image" title="kharif-1" msid="92593007" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;BI India&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The 2022 summer, which was ridden with heatwaves, led to cascading impacts not just on human health, but also on ecosystems such as agriculture, water and energy supplies. Power demand spiked and coal inventories dropped, leaving the country with its worst <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/why-are-there-power-cuts-and-heatwave-in-india/articleshow/91177785.cms">power shortage</a> in more than six years. The heat wave also <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/after-five-record-crops-heat-wave-threatens-indias-wheat-output-export-plans-2022-05-02/">threatened</a> India’s wheat output plan. According to a World Meteorological Organization report released in 2020, India lost more than <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-lost-87-billion-to-climate-disasters-in-2020-report-101635272896946.html">$87 billion</a> (approx. ₹6.8 lakh crore) due to disasters such as cyclones, floods and droughts. However, there’s still hope to <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/2022/04/04/ipcc-ar6-wgiii-pressrelease/">control</a> climate change. It will involve a substantial reduction in fossil fuel use, widespread electrification, improved energy efficiency, and use of alternative fuels (such as hydrogen).

SIMPLY PUT: extreme weather is the new normal in India

<ul><li>Monsoon is expected to bring above-average rain showers in the coming two weeks, according to weather officials. </li><li>The weekend — 27-28 July — will receive heavy rainfall in states of Maharashtra, Delhi, West Bengal and Uttarakhand among others. </li><li> Last week, India witnessed low rainfall, 35% below average. </li><li>The monsoon rainfall accounts for 70% of India’s annual rainfall.</li></ul>Monsoons have started late across the country, but looks like they will have an extended run. In the coming two weeks, monsoons are expected to bring in the much needed showers, according to weather officials. “In the next two weeks, we are likely to get above average rainfall, which will be well distributed across the country,” said A K Srivastava, head of the climate research division, <keyword id="6355166" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="India-meteorological-department">India Meteorological Department</keyword> (IMD)<a href="https://in.reuters.com/article/us-india-monsoon/india-to-get-above-average-monsoon-rains-in-next-two-weeks-idINKCN1UK1L7"> told </a>Reuters. Rainy weekend The weekend — 27 to 28 July — will receive heavy rainfall in states of Rajasthan, coastal Maharashtra, Goa, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Delhi, Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, interior Maharashtra and Odisha. <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt;"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Indian Cities </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Minimum temp (°C) </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Maximum temp (°C) </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Forecast </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Delhi </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">26 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">33 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Cloudy, moderate rains </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Mumbai </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">24 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">30 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Intermittent and heavy rains </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Kolkata </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">26 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">33 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Thundershowers, light rainfall </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Pune </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">22 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">29 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Moderate rains </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Chennai </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">23 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">34 </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Light rainfall </td></tr></tbody></table> Other states with high rainfall and thunderstorms include coastal Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttar Pradesh, Jammu &amp; Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Assam, Meghalaya, Gujarat and Jharkhand. However, in the national capital Delhi, rains will come with bad air quality, the weather report said. The IMD <keyword id="51704" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="weather-forecast">weather forecast</keyword> aligns with predictions of the<a href="https://www.thehindubusinessline.com/economy/agri-business/strong-monsoon-over-central-india-may-last-for-a-fortnight/article28690027.ece"> Climate Prediction Centre</a> of the US <keyword id="108482" type="COMPANY" weightage="20" keywordseo="National-Weather-Service">National Weather Service</keyword>, which too had predicted monsoon showers between 1-8 August. Drought &amp; Floods This year India had faced extreme weather conditions — floods and droughts. While Chennai is battling water crisis, Assam is struggling with <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/no-water-no-food-no-shelter-15-devastating-photos-show-how-destructive-assam-and-bihar-floods-are/articleshow/70291696.cms">floods</a>. Overall, the monsoon was deficient by 17% which impacted the crops. The most affected are cotton and groundnut crops in Gujarat. This late monsoons will bring cheer to Indian farmers and yield summer-sown crops, which have been sagging due to low rainfall. “Good rainfall in the next few days can bring down stress level and accelerate sowing,” said Prerana Desai, Head of Research at Edelweiss Rural &amp; Corporate Services. Over half of the arable land banks on monsoon rains for cultivation as they account for 70% of India’s total rainfall. According to the Agriculture Ministry, crop plantation has been low with summer crop plantation spreading over 56.7 million hectares of land this year. See also: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india-is-facing-two-extreme-weather-conditions-together-drought-and-floods-/articleshow/70273165.cms">Bone dry or deluge — the freakish monsoon is killing Indians either way</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/chennai-gets-monsoon-showers-but-its-too-little-to-solve-the-water-crisis/articleshow/70342615.cms">Chennai gets monsoon showers, but its too little to solve the water crisis</a>

Top Indian cities brace for a wet weekend after Met Dept forecast two weeks of 'above average' rain

The much-awaited Southwest <keyword id="6358301" type="DEFINITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="monsoon">Monsoon</keyword> finally arrived in Delhi Tuesday morning bringing respite from scorching heat, with weather officials saying the onset has been 16 days behind the usual date, making it the most delayed in <keyword id="2351148" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="19-years">19 years</keyword>. In 2002, the monsoon had covered Delhi on July 19. "The monsoon has arrived in Delhi," senior IMD <keyword id="9662" type="POSITION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Scientist">scientist</keyword> <keyword id="11617394" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="k-jenamani">K Jenamani</keyword> said after a spell of rains drenched parts of South Delhi Tuesday morning. The IMD said, "Thunderstorm with light to moderate intensity rain and winds with speed of 20-40 Km/h would occur over and adjoining areas of most places of Delhi, NCR (Bahadurgarh, Gurugram, Faridabad, <keyword id="11626657" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="loni-dehat">Loni Dehat</keyword>, Noida) Gohana, Sonipat, Rohtak (Haryana) Khekra (UP) during next 2 hours." "Finally Monsoon Rains over Delhi! Even though monsoon conditions were prevailing last 2-3 days, @Indiametdept was waiting for these rains to declare monsoon onset. Last 2 days it rained everywhere surrounding Delhi, except Delhi," <keyword id="158211" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="Ministry-of-Earth-Sciences">Ministry of Earth Sciences</keyword> secretary Madhavan Rajeevan tweeted. Normally, monsoon reaches Delhi by June 27 and covers the entire country by July 8. Last year, the wind system had reached the capital on June 25 and covered the entire country by June 29. Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather, a private forecasting agency, said the monsoon made a "weak onset" over Delhi and only patchy rainfall is predicted in the city over the next three days. He said the monsoon trough, which ran along the foothills of the Himalayas, has now shifted over the central parts of India due to low-pressure systems over the Bay of Bengal and Gujarat. "After the low-pressure systems dissipate in two to three days, the monsoon trough will again shift towards north, increasing rainfall in the region," he said. The weather department has had a tough time forecasting the advance of monsoon over Delhi this year. After several wayward forecasts, the IMD Monday acknowledged that "such type of failure by numerical models in the prediction of monsoon over the capital is rare and uncommon". The IMD had earlier said monsoon would hit Delhi on June 15, which would have been 12 days early, but the wind system entered a "break" phase. In early June, the <keyword id="6410326" type="ORGANIZATION" weightage="20" keywordseo="met">Met</keyword> office said the conditions will become favourable for the monsoon to advance to Delhi and other parts of northwest India by July 7. Later, it said Delhi will get its first monsoon rains around July 10. The weather department revised the forecast yet again on Saturday, saying the monsoon may reach the capital in the next 24 hours. But it kept the city waiting on Sunday and there was hardly any rainfall on Monday too. According to Kuldeep Srivastava, the head of the IMD's regional forecasting centre, the monsoon had reached the capital on July 7 in 2012 and on July 9 in 2006. "In 2002, Delhi received its first monsoon showers on July 19. The city had recorded the most-delayed monsoon arrival on July 26 in 1987," he said. Central Delhi is the most rain-deficient district in the country this monsoon, receiving only 8.5 mm rainfall against the normal of 132 mm since June 1, when the season starts. It has recorded a shortfall of 94 per cent. Overall, Delhi has so far received 67 per cent less rainfall than normal, putting it in the category of "large deficient" states. SEE ALSO - <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/tech/news/google-calendars-new-rsvp-option-will-let-you-specify-how-you-want-to-attend-a-meeting/articleshow/84237490.cms">Google Calendar’s new RSVP option will let you specify how you want to attend a meeting</a> <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/business/corporates/news/tcs-hires-over-20000-in-june-quarter-its-highest-ever-quarterly-addition/articleshow/84240423.cms">TCS has loaded up half a million peeps as it expects many to move on</a>

It was the biggest wait in 19 years. Finally, the monsoon is here in Delhi.

<ul><li>The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy rains in the city on Thursday as well. </li><li>The Delhi Traffic Police remained busy clearing traffic on Narela-Bawana road, Raja Garden flyover, Kasturba Underpass, MB Rad, Jhandewalan Mandir, Jhilmil underpass,, Azadpur vegetable market, Sarai Pipal Thala, Jahangirpuri, Madanpur Khadar among other places. </li><li>Similar scenes played out on Wednesday, as incessant rains pummelled the national capital region, submerging roads, underpasses and parks in waist-deep water and bringing traffic on key stretches to a virtual halt. </li></ul> Many parts of the national capital and key road stretches remained flooded as rains continued to drench the city on Thursday, triggering traffic snarls during morning rush hours. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned of heavy rains in the city on Thursday as well. The downpour may lead to "major traffic disruption" due to heavy water logging and there is an "increased chance" of road accidents, it warned. The Safdarjung Observatory, which provides representative figures for the city, recorded 46 mm rainfall between 8:30 am on Wednesday and 8:30 am on Thursday. On an average, the city gauges 11.3 mm rainfall from 8:30 am on August 19 to 8:30 am on August 20 every year. The Palam weather station gauged 70.9 mm precipitation during the period, more than six times the normal rainfall. The Delhi Traffic Police remained busy clearing traffic on Narela-Bawana road, Raja Garden flyover, Kasturba Underpass, MB Rad, Jhandewalan Mandir, Jhilmil underpass,, Azadpur vegetable market, Sarai Pipal Thala, Jahangirpuri, Madanpur Khadar among other places Similar scenes played out on Wednesday, as incessant rains pummelled the national capital region, submerging roads, underpasses and parks in waist-deep water and bringing traffic on key stretches to a virtual halt. The flooding was particularly severe in Gurugram, where roads turned into small rivers and parks resembled swimming pools. Just a few hours of rains flooded swathes of Delhi, spelling trouble for commuters who remained stuck for hours on water-logged roads. Pictures and videos of vehicles and people wading through waist-deep water were widely shared on social media. The rains also crippled electricity supply in many areas. Civic bodies reported incidents of uprooting of trees in a few areas due to the rains. A boundary wall of a school in Saket collapsed, damaging several vehicles parked alongside it. Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather, a private forecasting agency, said climate change had led to a change rain pattern. Earlier, we used to witness continuous light rains over two-three days. Nowadays, the same quantum of rainfall occurs in just 2-3 hours. These extreme events have been taking place across the tropical region since last 10 years," he said. Experts said the flooding was a result of bad urban planning. "Flooding in Indian cities is largely a product of bad urban planning. In Delhi, the Yamuna floodplains have been encroached upon obstructing the natural water flow. Other issues include deforestation, poor drainage system and lack of integrated urban planning," Anjal Prakash, research director, Indian School of Business, Hyderabad, said. Kuldeep Srivastava,the head of regional forecasting center of the IMD, said the axis of monsoon will remain close to the national capital till Thursday. Therefore, more rains are likely. Southwesterly winds from the Arabian Sea and southeasterly winds from the Bay of Bengal are also feeding moisture to the region, he said. The downpour also reduced the rain deficiency in the capital -- from 13 percent on Monday to 11 percent on Wednesday. The Safdarjung Observatory has recorded 147.4 mm rainfall against the normal of 165.2 mm in August so far. Overall, it has recorded 466 mm rainfall, six per cent more than the normal of 441.3 mm since June 1 when the monsoon season starts. SEE ALSO: <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/careers/news/linkedin-tcs-disney-hotstar-zee-and-other-companies-hiring-right-now-in-india/slidelist/77352775.cms">LinkedIn, TCS, Disney+ Hotstar, Zee and other companies hiring right now in India</a>

Delhi to witness heavy rains that may lead to major traffic disruption and increase chances of road accidents, warns IMD

<ul><li>Chief Minister <keyword id="260213" type="PERSON" weightage="20" keywordseo="Arvind-Kejriwal">Arvind Kejriwal</keyword> took to Twitter to say that rainwater harvesting will be mandatory for all government offices in Delhi. </li><li>The government is also testing natural water storage in the Yamuna river floodplains.</li><li>The central government had recently launched an initiative on the lines of Swacch Bharat Abhiyan called <keyword id="7815662" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="Jal-Shakti-Abhiyan">Jal Shakti Abhiyan</keyword>.</li></ul>Delhi government is taking steps towards <keyword id="6362691" type="UNKNOWN" weightage="20" keywordseo="water-conservation">water conservation</keyword>. The Chief Minister Arvind Kejriwal took to Twitter to announce multiple pilot projects for water conservation. One of them is to make rainwater harvesting mandatory for all government offices in the national capital. Kejriwal said that head of departments have been “directed to install systems in buildings which don't have it and existing systems to be cleaned and kept ready before monsoons”. Not just that, as the monsoon is expected to come in, the government also wants to test natural water storage in the Yamuna river floodplains. The central government recently launched an initiative called Jal Shakti Abhiyan' - a campaign for water conservation and water security, in the wake of an acute water crisis in the country. The delayed monsoon is expected to hit Delhi between July 3-5 and these water conservation projects seem to be the need of the hour. According to an IANS report, about 24 states in the country have received deficient rainfall in June with 250 districts across India reeling under severe water crisis.

In the wake of a national water crisis, Delhi government makes rainwater harvesting mandatory for all government offices

<ul><li>Monsoon is likely to hit Kerala on June 8. </li><li>With the monsoon delayed for another week, heatwaves in Northern India are going to continue. </li></ul><a href="https://sites.google.com/a/iitgn.ac.in/high_resolution_south_asia_drought_monitor/drought-early-warning-system/dews-india">With the early drought warning hovering over 43.3% parts of the country</a>, people in India aren’t going to get relieved from heat waves for another week. However<a href="http://www.imd.gov.in/pages/monsoon_main.php?adta=PDF&amp;adtb=6"> the monsoon is likely to begin within 48 hours</a> in Kerala and would take at least seven days to reach the central and western regions of the country. 
 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="Heavy to Very heavy rainfall at isolated places likely over Assam &amp; Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram &amp; Tripura, South Interior Karnataka and Kerala &amp; Mahe on June 8. Heavy rainfall at isolated places likely over Tamilnadu, Puducherry &amp; Karaikal, Lakshadweep, Rayalaseema and Odisha" auname="— Special daily Weather Report by the India Meteorological Department"></div>




 Temperature in Rajasthan’s Churu soared to 50 degree Celsius on June 1— the day when monsoon normally hits Southern parts of India. Many parts of the country are struggling with heat waves with the maximum temperature between 45 degrees to 50 degree Celsius. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), heat waves were expected in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra's Vidarbha region, Telangana and coastal Andhra Pradesh. <a href="http://www.imd.gov.in/pages/monsoon_main.php?adta=JPG&amp;adtb=1">Expected Monsoon dates in key parts of India </a> <table style="border-width: initial; border-style: none; width: 468pt;"><colgroup></colgroup><col /><col /><col /><tbody><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">State </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Normal Monsoon onset date </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Delayed till (Approximate)* </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Kerala </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">1 June </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">8 June </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Tamil Nadu </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">1 June </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">8 June </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Odisha </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">10 June </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">17 June </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Maharashtra </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">10 June </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">17 June </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">New Delhi </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">29 June </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">5 July </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">West Bengal </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">10 June </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">17 June </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Bihar </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">10 June </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">17 June </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Andhra Pradesh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">1 June </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">8 June </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Karnataka </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">5 June </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">13 June </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Haryana </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">1 July </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">8 July </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Punjab </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">1 July </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">8 July </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Uttar Pradesh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;"> </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;"> </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Madhya Pradesh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">15 June </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">22 June </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Meghalaya </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">5 June </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">13 June </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Chattisgarh </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">10 June </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">18 June </td></tr><tr><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">Rajasthan </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">1 July </td><td style="border-left:solid #000000 1pt;border-right:solid #000000 1pt;border-bottom:solid #000000 1pt;border-top:solid #000000 1pt;vertical-align:top;padding:5pt 5pt 5pt 5pt;">8 July </td></tr></tbody></table>*These are expected dates and may differ from the actual dates. This has been the second driest pre-monsoon season in the last 65 years, with the lowest being recorded in 2012 when countrywide cumulative rainfall deficiency had mounted to 31 per cent, according Private forecaster Skymet The heatwaves are expected to become severe in New Delhi and other northern cities in the coming days and the mercury is expected to breach 45 degrees Celsius. The National Capital Region along with Haryana and Punjab may get some relief due rains and thunderstorm led by western disturbances after June 11. 
 
 <div type="ExtQuote" text="Usually monsoon arrives in Delhi on June 29. However, this time it is expected to be delayed by a week. It may come in the first week of July" auname="Mahesh Palawat, Director at the private forecaster Skymet."></div>





 Delhi on Wednesday recorded a maximum temperature of 44.6 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season's average. (With IANS)

Monsoon to hit Kerala tomorrow, heatwave in Northern India to last another week

<keyword id="644986" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="Heatwaves" source="Orion">Heatwaves</keyword> somewhere, <keyword id="48088" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="floods" source="Orion">floods</keyword> in other parts of the country – India has witnessed extreme <keyword id="14334985" type="General" weightage="20" keywordseo="weather-patterns-in-2022" source="Orion">weather patterns in 2022</keyword> and we are only just halfway through the year. <div type="image" title="India has witnessed extreme weather patterns in 2022" msid="92584664" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;India has witnessed extreme weather patterns in 2022 &amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> Erratic monsoon in India India is witnessing <a href="https://www.mid-day.com/lifestyle/nature-and-wildlife/article/erratic-rainfall-pattern-in-india-amid-climate-change-warns-ipcc-report-23223005">erratic</a> rainfall after suffering from intense heat waves in April. On one hand, Assam has received <a href="https://weather.com/en-IN/india/monsoon/news/2022-06-24-southwest-monsoon-to-cover-india-entirely-between-june-30-and-july-6">too much</a> rainfall and on the other, Jharkhand has received around half of what it’s due. The <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/the-winds-of-change-are-changing-the-fortunes-of-indian-farmers/articleshow/92487685.cms">easterly winds</a> that bring monsoon to the Northwest India have been absent in June this year, leading to a dry spell in the region. Instead, those winds drifted to Northeast India, leading to <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/the-winds-of-change-are-changing-the-fortunes-of-indian-farmers/articleshow/92487685.cms">floods</a>. As June came to an end, as per <a href="https://twitter.com/ANI/status/1542378873492344835">IMD</a>, Southwest monsoon advanced into entire Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmiri, some parts of Rajasthan, entire Delhi, some parts of Punjab and Haryana on Thursday. According to the latest EcoScope report from research firm Motilal Oswal, India’s cumulative rainfall has a reported deficit of 7% as of June 26, 2022 after reporting a surplus of 20% in 2021 and 22% in 2020. The deficiency of rainfall is because the northwestern, central and southern parts of India have a shortfall of rains, suggesting that the issue is a lot more widespread than initially expected. <div type="image" title="The northwestern, central and southern parts of India have a shortfall of rains" msid="92584693" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;The northwestern, central and southern parts of India have a shortfall of rains&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> A see-saw summer From long dry spells to excessive rainfall, 2022 has been a year of extremes so far. As per the India Meteorological Department (IMD), April was the <a href="https://internal.imd.gov.in/press_release/20220402_pr_1551.pdf">hottest</a> month for northwest and central India and the third-hottest April the country has seen over the past 122 years, from 1901 to 2022. The daily high temperatures measured each year have also been increasing at a faster rate than daily low temperatures. This indicates that the distribution of temperature is shifting and <a href="https://www.cnbc.com/2022/05/02/india-heat-wave-in-pictures.html">changing</a> the ‘normal’ state. In fact, 12 of the country’s 15 <a href="https://pib.gov.in/PressReleasePage.aspx?PRID=1686173">warmest years</a> on record have occurred in the last 30 years. <div type="image" title="12 of the country’s 15 warmest years on record have occurred in the last 30 years" msid="92584779" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;12 of the country&amp;#8217;s 15 warmest years on record have occurred in the last 30 years&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> These recurring patterns of intense hot spells and erratic rainfall could be a sign of climate change and global warming. Our country is also expected to suffer through more frequent and intense hot spells, extreme rainfall and erratic monsoons in the coming decades as the planet warms, said <a href="https://www.business-standard.com/article/current-affairs/india-s-record-heatwave-to-get-worse-authorities-blame-global-warming-122042900785_1.html">United Nations’ Intergovernmental Panel</a>, a body for assessing science related to climate change. Cascading impacts of climate change This radical change in the weather is not good news for a country like India, which is heavily dependent on agriculture as it contributes <a href="https://india.mongabay.com/2021/10/extreme-weather-becomes-the-new-normal-in-indias-main-monsoon-season/">16-20% to GDP</a>, according to Finance Ministry data. In a country like India farmers are heavily dependent on monsoons for irrigating their fields, erratic rainfall and hot summer are the bane for their cultivation. According to a <a href="https://data.worldbank.org/indicator/AG.LND.IRIG.AG.ZS">World Bank report</a>, as of 2015, nearly 62% of the agricultural lands in India are dependent on monsoon rains for irrigation. As of 24th Jun’22, <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/the-winds-of-change-are-changing-the-fortunes-of-indian-farmers/articleshow/92487685.cms">Kharif sowing</a> is 24% lower than the area sown last year. <div type="image" title="Kharif sowing is 24% lower than the area sown last year" msid="92584805" hostid="261" caption="&amp;lt;p&amp;gt;Kharif sowing is 24% lower than the area sown last year&amp;lt;/p&amp;gt;"></div> The 2022 summer, which was ridden with heatwaves, led to cascading impacts not just on human health, but also on ecosystems such as agriculture, water and energy supplies. Power demand spiked and coal inventories dropped, leaving the country with its worst <a href="https://www.businessinsider.in/india/news/why-are-there-power-cuts-and-heatwave-in-india/articleshow/91177785.cms">power shortage</a> in more than six years. The heat wave also <a href="https://www.reuters.com/world/india/after-five-record-crops-heat-wave-threatens-indias-wheat-output-export-plans-2022-05-02/">threatened</a> India’s wheat output plan. According to a World Meteorological Organization report released in 2020, India lost more than <a href="https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/india-lost-87-billion-to-climate-disasters-in-2020-report-101635272896946.html">$87 billion</a> (approx. ₹6.8 lakh crore) due to disasters such as cyclones, floods and droughts. However, there’s still hope to <a href="https://www.ipcc.ch/2022/04/04/ipcc-ar6-wgiii-pressrelease/">control</a> climate change. It will involve a substantial reduction in fossil fuel use, widespread electrification, improved energy efficiency, and use of alternative fuels (such as hydrogen).

SIMPLY PUT: Extreme weather is the new normal in India

New Delhi, July 15 (IANS) The north-eastern provinces, including Bihar, which are reeling under heavy rains and floods, may soon get relief from the havoc of monsoon, while northern and central-India may witness increased rainfall. Mrityunjay Mohapatra, Director General, India Meteorological Department (IMD), said that areas of Bihar and the northeast, which are facing flood like situation due to heavy rains, are expected to get relief in the coming days. While the stretch between Odisha and Gujarat may witness increased rainfall in the next four-five days, Mohapatra said that more rains are expected in north India as well, especially in east Rajasthan. In an exclusive chat with IANS, Mohapatra said that Delhi, Chandigarh and Haryana have received normal rainfall so far this monsoon. The monsoon reached Delhi on June 25, two days before the forecast time, but since then there has been light rain, while the national capital is yet to witness torrential rain. Asked about the distribution of rainfall across the country, the IMD chief said that till July 13, out of the 36 sub-divisions of meteorology in the country, 30 received above average rainfall. He said that just six sub-divisions have witnessed rain deficiency. According to the IMD, when it rains 20 per cent of the average or even less than it, it is called a deficient rain. Such areas so far include western Uttar Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Ladakh and Kerala. Mohapatra said that the progress of the monsoon has been better than average so far and there has been good rainfall, which is evident from the rapid pace of kharif sowing. Kharif crops have been sown in 580.21 lakh hectares till last week, which is 44.13 per cent more than the 402.57 lakh hectares during the same period last year. On the monsoon forecast for July and August, Mohapatra said: "We had issued a forecast that there will be normal rainfall in July, and we have not changed it so far. There will be 102 per cent rainfall in July while August is expected to see 97 per cent rainfall." He added that the areas which have seen less rainfall in July so far will improve further. According to IMD's July 14 report, in the entire monsoon season -- between June 1 and July 14 -- 11 per cent more rainfall on an average was received across India. Till July 14, the country has received 320.1 mm of rainfall, while the average rainfall during this period is 288.9 mm. However, northwest India received 11 per cent less rainfall from June 1 to July 14 on an average. East and northeast India received 15 per cent more rainfall than the average, while central India received 16 per cent more rainfall than the average and the southern peninsular region received 14 per cent more rainfall than average. (Pramod Kumar Jha can be reached at pramod.j@ians.in) --IANS pkj/rs/arm

Bihar to get relief from monsoon havoc soon: IMD

New Delhi,Apr 15 () India will receive normal monsoon this season, country's meteorological deprtament said on Wednesday in its forecast for the Southwest monsoon that covers 75 per cent of the country, and thereby may bring much-needed respite to the economy, which is reeling under the catastrophic effect of the COVID-19 pandemic. Addressing an online briefing, IMD Director General M Mohapatra said quantitatively, the rainfall is likely to be 100 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA) in the monsoon season (June-September) with a model error of 5 per cent."In these difficult times of coronavirus, the good news is that the country will receive normal rainfall during June to September. This will help our agriculture sector and better crop yield. It will definitely help in economic growth of the country," said M Rajeevan, Secretary, Minister of Earth Sciences. "The country will receive normal rainfall this season," Mohapatra said. The IMD defines 'average' or 'normal' rainfall as between 96 per cent and 104 per cent, and the LPA of the seasonal rainfall across the country for the period 1961-2010 is 88 centimetres. The country receives 75 per cent of its rainfall from the southwest monsoon during June to September. It is not only crucial for farming in the country, but also for replenishing the reservoirs,and more importantly to the economy which is still largely dependent on agriculture. Northeast monsoon is another phenomenon that brings rainfall to the Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, parts of Kerala and Andhra Pradesh during October to December. From this year the IMD also revised the dates of onset and withdrawal dates of the monsoon for several parts of the country based on the data from 1960-2019. The previous dates were based on the data from 1901 to 1940. However, the onset date for monsoon over Kerala, which is June 1, remains unchanged, Rajeevan said. In states like Maharashtra,Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar and parts of Uttar Pradesh, monsoon will be delayed by 3-7days compared to the existing normal dates.For the national capital, the new normal onset date for monsoon has been revised from June 23 to June 27 -- a delay of four days. Similarly, dates have been revised for Mumbai and Kolkata from June 10 to 11, and for Chennai from June 1 to 4. However, over extreme northwest India, the monsoon will arrive a little earlier, on July 8, as compared to the existing date of 15th July. The new date for monsoon withdrawal from south India is October 15.The IMD, the weather forecaster of the country, attributed the forecast of normal monsoon to a neutral atmospheric changes 'El Nino' and a possible 'La Nina' during the second part of the four-month rainfall season from June to September.Forecast models suggest that there is a 41 per cent chance of the season receiving normal rainfall and only 9 per cent possibility of a deficient monsoon. Last year, India had received "above normal" rainfall."Neutral El Nino Southern Oscillation(ENSO) conditions are prevailing over the Pacific Ocean and Neutral Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions are prevailing over the Indian Ocean. Some climate model forecasts indicate these conditions are likely to persist during the ensuing monsoon season. "However, a few other global climate models indicate the possibility of development of weak La Nina conditions over the Pacific Ocean during the second half of the season," Rajeevan said. As sea surface temperature (SST)conditions over the Pacific and Indian Oceans are known to have strong influence on Indian monsoon, the IMD is carefully monitoring the evolution of sea surface conditions over the Pacific and the Indian oceans, Mohapatra said.El Nino is linked to the heating of waters over the central Pacific Ocean. La Nina is linked to the cooling of central Pacific waters. Positive and negative IODs are associated with cooling or heating of waters in the Indian Ocean respectively. "La Nina, or cooler-than-usual sea surface temperatures in the east-central Pacific Ocean, is typically associated with better monsoon rains and colder winters in India while El Nino is associated with below-normal rainfall in the country," Rajeevan said. PR PYKPYK

India to receive normal monsoon this season, says IMD; May bring some respite to coronavirus-hit economy

NEW DELHI: Indian farmers are revising their sowing strategy and cropping patterns as they look to make the most of the rain they’ll get during the June-September monsoon season. 
 
The state-run India Meteorological Department and private forecasters such as Skymet have indicated that rain could be deficient, with some probability of a drought. Farmers are hoping to be prepared for such an eventuality. 
 
To begin with, some are looking to cultivate crops that will require less water such as cotton, guar, jowar, pulses, maize and soyabean. Others are opting for short-duration crops such as basmati rather than paddy. Sales of drought-tolerant seed varieties could also see a surge. 
 Availability of water for irrigation is a substantial challenge because of poor infrastructure in a country where two-thirds of the arable land is rain fed. More than 42% of the area under paddy, which accounts for over 70% of the kharif crop in the country, is rainfed across Uttar Pradesh, <keyword id="30033" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Bihar">Bihar</keyword>, <keyword id="6355554" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Madhya-Pradesh">Madhya Pradesh</keyword>, <keyword id="43945" type="COMPANY" weightage="40" keywordseo="Chhattisgarh">Chhattisgarh</keyword> and West Bengal. 
 
Nand Kishore Singh of Tariyani village in the Jaunpur district of Uttar Pradesh may sow black gram (urad) this year rather than paddy if the season is dry. “We are dependent on monsoon rains and it will be unviable to get a crop if rains are weak and unevenly spread,” he said. 
 
According to rough estimates, 5,000 litres of water is needed for producing 1 kg of paddy whereas 1 kg of basmati requires 400-500 litre of water. 
 
KVS Sandhu, a vegetable grower in Patiala, Punjab, will be allocating 25 acres of land on his farm for basmati this year. 
 
“Growing paddy could pose a problem if rains are unevenly distributed across the four months and hence I will go for basmati sowing for the first time,” said Sandhu, who’s a former bureaucrat. The 70-day crop will need less water than the 90-110-day paddy crop, he said. 
 
Sandhu, a leading vegetable exporter, has already sown ladies’ fingers to export to the European Union and the Middle East. 
 
Most farmers across north India, after harvesting wheat in March, went in for maize, green gram (moong) and even vegetables to earn extra. They will now opt for basmati in July. 
 
Acreage of India’s largest vegetable export, guar, could also increase as companies begin distributing free seeds to farmers. 
 Maganbhai Patel, a cotton and groundnut <keyword id="48857" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="Farmer">farmer</keyword> in Gujarat who has 30 acres of land, has been approached by traders and companies to sow guar this year. “We haven’t ever sown guar in our area. The crop doesn’t require any water or fertilizer and it will be a net profit for me even if I get Rs 7,500 per quintal by the end of the harvest,” he said. Guar seed is currently being quoted at Rs 4,500-5,000 a quintal in the Gujarat market. 
 
In 2012, weak rains across western India led to a huge loss for cotton and groundnut farmers as wells ran dried. Patel, who heads Gujarat’s Bharatiya Kisan Sangh, feels that farmers will continue to sow the traditional groundnut, castor and cotton crops.
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“We are not businessmen and will do what best we know. From past experience of poor rains, farmers will go for short-range variety of cotton. If the government subsidises, we may even sow drought-variety seeds,” he said. 
 
The Centre and state governments have been issuing information on the possibility of a below-normal southwest monsoon and what farmer could sow to ensure remunerative returns. 
 “We have been told that this year there would be low rainfall so we have decided to sow soyabean and jowar as these crops need less water than other crops like sugar cane or vegetable plants,” said Singangoud Patil, a <keyword id="195892" type="POSITION" weightage="40" keywordseo="small-farmer">small farmer</keyword> in Kardiguddi village in Belgaum, Karnataka. 
 
“Generally we sow sugarcane but this year we might go with cotton or maize. We have already suffered huge losses due to abnormal rainfall early this year, so don’t want to take risk,” said Manjunath Chikkareddy, who owns 20 acres of land at Hooli in Belgaum.

You Searched For "delhi rainfall deficiency" and got 13 results

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SIMPLY PUT: Extreme weather is the new normal in India

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