The rainfall deficit is likely to increase further with no possibility of rainfall in next one week, according to the local Meteorological Department.
The agrarian states of Punjab and Haryana and their joint capital — Chandigarh — continue to receive scanty rainfall recording more than 60 per cent rain deficit during ongoing monsoon.The Met Department has forecast that rain/thundershowers may occur at isolated places in Punjab and weather would be mainly dry till August 26 and rain/thundershowers may occur at isolated places on August 27 in Haryana.
Surender Pal, Director, local Meteorological Department while talking to The Pioneer said, “The rainfall deficit is likely to increase further in the coming weeks as there is no possibility of heavy rains in the remaining period of monsoon.He said, “Mainly dry and warm weather conditions would prevail in Haryana and Punjab in next five-six days. After that, light rain is expected at isolated places in the region.”
Partly cloudy conditions are expected in some parts of Punjab in next one week, he added.According to the Met Department, the union territory of Chandigarh has received 243.3 mm rainfall from June 1 to August 21 against normal rains of 632 mm during this monsoon, recording a high rain deficit of 62 per cent.
Haryana has received 124.9 downpour against normal rainfall of 333.4 mm during the same period recording deficit of 63 per cent. The neighboring Punjab recorded rain deficit of 62 per cent as it received 137.6 mm rains against normal rainfall of 361.6 mm from June 1 to August 21. Several parts of Punjab and Haryana have recorded high rain deficit of more than 80 per cent.
As per Met Department data, Rohtak with rainfall deficit of 88 percent, Panipat 80 percent, Fatehabad 78 percent, Sonepat 76 percent, Kurukshetra 78 percent, Jind 74 percent, Kaithal 74 percent, Palwal 69 percent, Hisar 69 percent, among other places in Haryana received poor rains. All districts witnessed scanty rainfall and Yamunagar witnessed least rain deficit of 41 per cent.
In Punjab, places including Barnala recorded rain deficit of 89 per cent against normal, Sangrur 81 per cent, Mansa 81 percent, Patiala 80 percent, Amritsar 78 per cent, Ferozepur 71 per cent and Tarn Taran 74 per cent. Gurdaspur district recorded least rain deficit of 21 per cent in Punjab as it received 499.5 mm downpour against normal of 632.1 mm.The south-west monsoon had reached the region on July 1 and 2.