In India, the monsoon typically lasts from June to September. However, this year is witnessing an exceptional monsoon. September 30 is officially the last day of monsoon, but a recent update stated that for the first week of October, India will receive heavy rainfall in different states.
According to the India Meteorological Department, India received 94% of the expected rain this year. This is below the rate of ‘normal’ rainfall. A rank between 96% to 104% is considered ‘normal’. As a consequence, the livelihoods of India have been disturbed due to the prolonged monsoon. From Kerala to Mumbai and UP to Kolkata, States are facing difficulties.
Climate scientist Roxy Mathew of the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology (IITM) remarked on the situation. He said that the moisture-holding capacity of air has increased for a longer period because of the constant rise in the temperature of the sea and land.
The monsoon is inconsistent across the months. Scientists express that it is a sign that the Earth is warming up due to climate change, causing the air’s capability of holding moisture to increase. According to the report, this year, the annual rainfall started at 9% deficient in June, and in July, shifted to an excess of 13%. Next in August, the weather had a big deficiency of 36%, and eventually, in September, it finished off with a 13% excess.
However, scientists say unpredictable rainfall in September was due to the conditions in the Bay of Bengal and the Indian Ocean. The fourth month of the monsoon in India at 96% LPA(Long Period Average) is the impact of El Nino due to the increase of sea surface temperatures.
Additionally, the forecast said that the monthly rainfall over the country during October 2023 is likely to be normal at 85-115 % of the LPA.
For the people of India, this meant more humid and hot days. For farmers, it is undependable for their harvesting. For states such as Telangana, Karnataka, and West Bengal, there is large-scale destruction of lives, infrastructures, homes, and livelihoods. However, the report says that eastern India—Nagaland, Assam, Tripura, Arunachal Pradesh, Manipur, and Bihar received deficient rainfall.
Besides this, the north Indian state of Himachal Pradesh was also hit by the floods due to mini-cloud bursts in July (6-15) and August (10-15). However, some other parts of the country like Konkan and Chandigarh also witnessed exceptional rainfall in July.
The month of October is a festive season in India. Farmers and businessmen are eagerly waiting for this season to engage in large-scale business activities. But monsoon has hit the high market at a time that can affect the festive business.
Nevertheless, now is the time to hope to recover and resume the lifestyle.
Edited by: Mariyam Qureshi
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