PINAKI MAJUMDAR
Jamshedpur, July 20: A weak monsoon has pushed Jharkhand’s rain deficit to as high as 44 per cent as of today putting a question mark on whether July, the peak monsoon month too would end up on a deficit note.
There is no forecast of heavy rain at least in the next one week. Weathermen said widespread and heavy rain can only help in making up the deficit with eleven days left for July month to end.
Satellite imagery and other Meteorological analysts at IMD’s Ranchi Meteorological Centre suggested that the monsoon trough at mean sea level was today passing through Phalodi, Kota, Raisen, Seoni, Raipur, Puri and thence east-southeastwards to Eastcentral Bay of Bengal and extending upto 2.1 km above mean sea level.
The cyclonic circulation over the northwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas of north Andhra Pradesh-south Odisha coasts extending up to 7.6 km above mean sea level was tilting southwards.
Weathermen said under its influence, a low-pressure area is likely to form over the northwest and adjoining west-central Bay of Bengal during the next 24- hours or so.
Today’s local forecast for Ranchi suggested a generally cloudy sky with one or two spells of rain or thundershowers activity. Such weather condition is likely to prevail in the state capital for the next two to three days.
A weather analyst at Ranchi Meteorological Centre said that a good shower show is expected over the state only if a low-pressure system or a cyclonic circulation builds over the Bay of Bengal.
Rain statistics suggested that Jharkhand has so far after the onset of monsoon received 214 mm of rain against a normal of 380 mm, thus resulting in such a huge deficit.
Data suggests that except for Sahibganj all the other 23 districts were facing a rain deficit.
Weathermen warned that deficient rain would adversely affect agriculture activity across the state.
