PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, July 14: A fortnight into the rainiest month of the year, Jharkhand is still facing a deficit of 45 per cent in rainfall.
Against a normal of 316 mm the state so far after the onset of monsoon actually received 174 mm, a deficit of 45 per cent.
The latest deluge in swathes of northern India has for the first time this year pushed the monsoon into surplus zone for the entire country. But, Jharkhand has so far registered a huge rain deficit.
In most parts of Jharkhand, June usually sees around a dozen “rain days” and July around 20.
Weathermen attributed the rain deficit to the lack of low-pressure areas over the Bay of Bengal.
“So far, there has just been one low-pressure area over the Bay. Monsoon rain is dependent on a strong system over the Bay, ” explained a senior Meteorological official.
The situation is likely to change though. The monsoon trough which had moved towards the foothills of the Himalayas, is likely to get restored by Saturday.
A cyclonic circulation is likely to take shape over the Bay of Bengal around Sunday and is expected to intensify into a low-pressure area in the next 48 hours.
Weathermen at Ranchi Meteorological Centre predicted thundershowers at several places today.
Heavy rain is also likely at isolated places over Khunti, East-Singhbhum, West-Singhbhum and Seraikela tomorrow, July 15.
For Sunday, July 16, the Meteorological Centre issued an alert of heavy rain at various places over Jharkhand including Chatra, Latehar, Garhwa and Palamu.
