HYDERABAD: Barring a few spells of rain, Telangana remained dry in July, recording 183 mm rainfall, taking the deficit in the state to -13% of the average annual rainfall (713.5 mm). Even worse, India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials predict the dry spell may extend for the next 10 days. However, the weatherman predicts that after August 15, rainfall activity may resume and negate the deficit.
“Apart from a few spells of isolated and scant rainfall, we may not foresee any major change in the next few days,” IMD, Hyderabad, director Y K Reddy said, adding north India was experiencing rainfall activity with the clouds settling at the foot of the Himalayas. “Due to the absence of rain-bearing clouds, there has been no rainfall in the Telangana region,” he said.
Similarly, experts from private weather forecaster Skymet said rainfall would remain below normal in the first half of August. “We do not forecast any heavy rainfall activity over the state for now, but after August 18, there are chances that the intensity of the rainfall may increase and it would become a daily affair. It will not remain patchy as it is now,” Skymet chief meteorologist
Mahesh Palawat
told STOI over the phone from Delhi.
The dry spell, however, might come to an end soon as some weather systems were developing in the
Bay of Bengal
. “What Telangana is currently going through is what we call a rain break. During the period, the rains would remain localised and patchy in nature. Also, we have been monitoring the movement of air currents from the western Pacific region. By virtue of their movement, these currents are pushing the convective clouds (rain-bearing clouds) towards the north, abating rainfall over the state. However, this phenomenon would end soon and rainfall might resume after August 15,” Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, Pune, scientist
AK Sahai
said.
However, Telangana State Development and Planning Society officials said the current lull in the monsoon was a temporary phase and the state would receive normal or surplus rainfall by the end of the monsoon (September 30).
“The state usually receives 713.5 mm of rainfall during the monsoon. Though there has been a lull in the monsoon for now, the formation of rain-bearing systems over the western Bay of Bengal, shows that the state would receive rains after August 15,” Society meteorologist
Y V Rama Rao
said.
The state usually receives 373.2 mm rainfall during this time of the year (August first week). However, this season Telangana logged just 346.9 mm rainfall. Experts, however predict the deficit would end in the next two months.
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