India to receive rain till mid-October as withdrawal of monsoon gets delayed by a month; seasonal precipitation in 2019 highest in 25 years

The extended southwest monsoon over the Indian subcontinent has not only caused devastation at several places in the country, but has also broken some old records and set new ones. The "relentless" rainfall received all over the country in September this year is also the highest in 102 years, reports said.

"All-India average rainfall in September stands at 241.1 millimeters, 48 percent above normal and the third highest in India Meteorological Department's records since 1901," a report by The Times of India said. The report added that the four-month-long season's rainfall is nine percent above normal this year, "barely a percentage point short of 'excess' monsoon rainfall".

However, PTI quoted an IMD official as saying that the seasonal precipitation received country-wide so far is 10 percent more than the usual, "which is highest in the last 25 years".

Representational image. Reuters

Additionally, while the withdrawal of the monsoon has been delayed by a month in most states of the country, The Indian Express reported that the rains will begin retreat after 7 October from the "extreme north-western" parts of the country, which include Rajasthan, Punjab, and parts of Gujarat.

"Light" showers are likely to continue in Maharashtra till 15 October, after which the retreat of the monsoon is likely to start, the report quoted an IMD official as saying. "While the rainfall over India is 10 percent above normal, it has been 32 percent above normal for Maharashtra in the current monsoon season," the official said.

"The southwest monsoon arrived late over the Indian subcontinent this year. At the end of June, the rainfall deficit was of 33 percent. Today, it is 10 percent more than the normal" the official added.

"Normal withdrawal of southwest monsoon begins by 1 September in Rajasthan and other northern parts of India. This year, the Hikka cyclone has so far brought more showers and southwest monsoon is still here, he said.

In Maharashtra, the monsoon has brought copious rains with its late onslaught. Solapur district has reported lowest precipitation of rainfall, which is -38 percent, whereas Pune district has received 109 per cent rainfall of its normal, said the IMD official.

Mumbai has received 3,669.6 millimetres rainfall so far this season — the highest in 61 years — as against its normal quota of 2,350 millimetres. In 1958, Mumbai had received 3759.7 millimetres of rainfall.

Mumbai also faced extremely heavy rainfall (which means more than 200 mm rainfall in 24 hours) five times in the entire season. "This has happened for the first time here in Mumbai, said the official.

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