Southwest monsoon begins retreat on Oct 9, recording the longest delay

The southwest monsoon began its retreat on Wednesday, after a delay of more than a month, the India Meteorological Department said. This also marked the longest recorded delay in withdrawal of the four-month-long rainfall season.

“In view of the persistence of an anti-cyclonic circulation in the lower tropospheric level over northwest India, gradual reduction in moisture in the lower and midtropospheric levels and reduction in rainfall, the southwest monsoon has withdrawn from some parts of Punjab, Haryana and north Rajasthan today (Wednesday), October 9, 2019 as against the normal date of September 1,” the IMD said in a statement.

READ: Rain, thunderstorm warning for parts of Maha from October 7: IMD

“The most delayed withdrawal in the past years has been recorded in 1961 (1st October 1961), followed by 30th September in 2007,” the IMD added.

IMD latest prediction 

In view of the persistence of an anti-cyclonic circulation in northwest India, gradual reduction in moisture in the lower & mid-tropospheric levels and reduction in rainfall, southwest monsoon has withdrawn from some parts of Punjab, Haryana and north Rajasthan on October 9.

IMD also predicted scattered to fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls likely over peninsular India and east India during the next 24 hours. Thunderstorms with lightning is also likely over northeast India during the next 24 hours and over east India and peninsular India during the next 48 hours.

Intense Monsoon in India

The main reason for the plentiful rainfall India has received this year is because of what weather bureaus like Skymet and IMD have stated - the El Niño effect. The El Niño as explained by US National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration is a large-scale ocean-atmosphere climate interaction linked to periodic warming in sea surface temperatures across the central and east-central Equatorial Pacific.

Skymet had initially predicted in April that a 'weak' El Niño would persist, resulting monsoon to be below normal at 93% LPA. But as the months progressed, amidst an ongoing El Niño, monsoon gained speed and reaching its peak in July-August period and steadily rising at the end of September. While there were acute droughts Maharashtra, Gujarat, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu in summer- especially in May 2019, a strong El-Nino saw a steady rise in monsoon in the consecutive months.

READ: Monsoon withdrawal from October 10: IMD

READ: IMD predicts heavy rainfall in Northeast India, west Madhya Pradesh

READ:  IMD Bulletin: Tamil Nadu and Kerala to receive heavy rainfall today

(Inputs from PTI)