Even though the monsoon has covered the entire country two weeks earlier than usual, north and central India continue to face sweltering heat these days. The above average temperatures combined with high relative humidity has raised “discomfort”.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday predicted that over the next five days, northwest India, including Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh will experience “fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls”.
Meanwhile, moderate to intense thunderstorms and lightning are also very likely over southeast Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, east Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand, east Vidarbha and Odisha over the next 12 hours. According to the IMD, 16 States have received normal monsoon rains, nine excess rain and two large excess rain so far. Three States — Meghalaya, Sikkim and Goa have received over 1,000 mm rains so far.
According to IMD officials, the discomfort is more because of high humidity combined with high temperature. High humidity is expected in this season. In northen States, an average humidity level is recorded between 65 and 90 while in eastern States, and the average humidity level is recorded between 80 and 95 in July.
“Relative humidity measures the actual amount of moisture in the air as a percentage of the maximum amount of moisture the air can hold,” officials added. In Delhi, the maximum temperature is recorded 40 degree Celsius while the humidity was 71 on Friday. In Chennai, humidity level was 95 while the average temperature was recorded 34 degree Celsius. Kolkata recorded humidity level 89 while Ahmedabad recorded humidity level 69 and average temperature 40 degree Celsius.
India received 213.1 mm rain as against the normal of 191.6mm, an increase of 11 per cent from June 1 to July 4. Meghalaya has received 1149.6 mm rain as against the normal of 893.1 mm so far while Sikkim received 1,000 mm rains as against the normal of 473.5 mm this season. This means Sikkim has received over 110 per cent more rainfall this year. Goa also reported 1,230.4 mm rains as against the normal of 1016.1 mm.
Bihar has received 62 per cent more rains this year. It has received 324.8 mm rain as against the normal of 200.8 mm. The excess rainfall has created flood-like situations in northern districts. Some major rivers have started flowing above the danger mark. Water level in other rivers has risen, threatening thousands of people living in low-lying areas. At least 28 of the State’s 38 districts received large excess rain; seven districts recorded excess rain and three recorded normal rain in June. According to IMD’s annual rainfall reports, Bihar receives 1,027.6 mm rainfall in a normal monsoon year; the average annual rainfall through the year in all seasons is 1,205.6 mm.
The IMD in its forecast said a cyclonic circulation also lay over east Uttar Pradesh and neighbourhood while a north-south trough is running till east Vidarbha. This is most likely to cause fairly widespread to widespread rainfall/thundershower with isolated heavy to very heavy falls over Central and adjoining east India during the next five days, the IMD said.
Meanwhile, due to high convergence of strong moist winds from the Arabian Sea along the west coast and cyclonic circulation over south Gujarat and neighbourhood, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy falls are most likely to continue over Gujarat, Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra and coastal Karnataka over the next five days.