Chennai: The northeast monsoon is all set to commence within a day or two even as the southwest monsoon has withdrawn from the entire country, according to the Indian Meteorological Department.
“Conditions continue to remain favourable for commencement of northeast monsoon rains over Tamil Nadu and adjoining areas of south coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, south interior Karnataka and Kerala during next 48 hours”, said an IMD release early Wednesday.
“I had predicted seven months ago that northeast monsoon will set around 26 October and it has been reported in the media”, said noted astro-meteorologist S. Ramachandran, recalling his prediction carried in the March 13 posting of his popular weather site, http://tamilnadumandram.com/vedic-meteorology-weather-forecast-2017-part-ii/.
“That's not all; I had also forecast that this northeast monsoon would be deficient in rainfall. I had said in my site that this monsoon would be ‘indifferent and insufficient’ and requested the people of Tamil Nadu to save water from the good southwest monsoon for the rest of the year”, said Ramachandran.
According to his ominous prediction, there will be moderate rainfall in south Tamil Nadu during this monsoon till the first week of December. “Coupled with this insufficient rainfall, there be harsh dry spell during the first half of 2018, except for a brief wet period during second week of February and last week of March due to pre-monsoon rains”, said the vedic meteorologist.
“I strongly recommend that the government should complete all examinations and close the educational institutions by the end of March. This could help handle the severe water scarcity during that dry spell”, he said. On a happier note, the second half of 2018 will see copious rainfall for the southern peninsula. “There will be floods during August-September, unless the government acts now to create checkdams and take advantage of the excess rainfall”, Ramachandran said.
