Despite negative outlook for rainfall in country, TN expected to fare better
Picture for representational purpose
Chennai: Tamil Nadu has managed to stay in the normal rainfall category (+20 to - 20 per cent) at the end of the first two months of the southwest monsoon season this year. The state usually gets its quota of SW rain in August and September months and so the weathermen say that the current deficit of two cm mean rainfall is not a big worry. Overall, the country has so far received 34.2 cm area weighted rainfall as against the normal of 44.4 cm, thereby recording a deficit of minus 23 per cent this SW monsoon season. Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Kerala, south interior Karnataka and Rayalseema regions have received normal rainfall in south India.
“We expect normal rainfall in August. But the prediction for the overall season rainfall is still on the negative side. However, when there is a negative outlook for rainfall in the whole country, then TN is expected to fare better,” said S. B. Thampi, deputy director general of Meteorology, Regional Meteorological Centre, Chennai. Noting that the state’s rainfall was on the positive side until the monsoon picked up in north India, Mr Thampi said, “rains in August and September would help recover from current minus 19 per cent deficit to plus or minus 10 per cent at the end of the season.” Tamil Nadu has so far recorded 9.4 cm mean rainfall as against normal of 11.6 cm.
Dr Y. E. A. Raj, former deputy director general of Meteorology said that the state would receive most of its rainfall during August and September in SW monsoon season. “Out of the total 32 cm of mean rainfall, we will get more than 65 per cent in these two months. So we can expect rainfall to pick up,” he added. According to him, the state did not get synoptic system in July. “The rains were mostly confined to the hilly districts and the plains got very less rainfall. Even though the state received good rainfall in the beginning of the season, it turned into scattered and isolated rains after the monsoon picked up in the north,” Dr Raj added.
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