The Hindu : Andhra Pradesh / Hyderabad News : Monsoon winds drifting

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Saturday, Jul 19, 2008
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Andhra Pradesh

Andhra Pradesh - Hyderabad

Monsoon winds drifting

M. Malleswara Rao

Different direction of winds main reason for poor rain

‘No scope of heavy rain for another couple of days’
Rainfall deficit of State till July 18 put at 50 per cent

HYDERABAD: A direction different from the normal one taken by South-West monsoon winds has been identified as one of the reasons for the prolonged dry spell in the State and the 50 per cent rainfall deficit.

According to meteorologists at the State Met Office, the winds of one arm of the South-West monsoon relevant to Southern India normally blow from the Arabian Sea, cross the peninsula and take a reverse course after picking up moisture in the Bay of Bengal. These wet winds then cause weather systems in the Bay like depression or low pressure area and strike against the eastern coast, activating the monsoon and causing rain.

Weather system elusive

An analysis made by meteorologists, however, revealed that these gusty winds were travelling towards the north-west after hovering over the Bay of Bengal and not returning.

As a result, weather systems that normally form over the Bay around this time have become elusive.

Consequently, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Maharashtra have slipped into a dry spell. These meteorologists, nonetheless, expressed hopes that the winds would take their normal path shortly.

Remote chances

A senior official at SMO said there was no scope of heavy rain in the State for another couple of days, though some places might experience moderate falls.

The present monsoon lull could also be due to some global climatic changes under which ice in the Himalayas was melting as never before.

Asked to comment on the forecast of “normal monsoon” by India Meteorological Department (IMD) going wrong, he said the lull for a few days could not be described as failure.

The IMD issued the prediction “for a period” whereas citizens were jumping to conclusions on whether the monsoon was normal, by taking a segment of the period for reckoning. The situation might change towards July-end.

Meanwhile, the Disaster Management Department put the rainfall deficit suffered by the State till July 18 at 50 per cent, with 124.7 mm of rainfall received so far against a normal of 247.3 mm. The shortage over Rayalaseema was 54 per cent and in Coastal Andhra 40 per cent.

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