Relief from sultry weather soon

Lucknow: One can wait for heavy showers to lash the state in the next three to four days to bring the much-needed relief from the sultry weather conditions which have gripped parts of the state, including the capital, for the past couple of days. Existence of the

N. Gopal Raj

Researchers are noticing changes in the established patterns of monsoon rainfall.

still Hopeful: The contribution of July rainfall to the annual rainfall showed a marked decline.

Last year, heavy rains in southern India led to the south-west monsoon ending with above-average nationwide rainfall. In striking contrast, this year large parts of the south as well as Maharashtra and Gujarat are suffering a drought. While June ended with surplus rains for the country as a whole, poor rains in July have pushed the national average into a deficit.

MONSOON WATCH
Surinder Sud / New Delhi July 18, 2008, 0:51 IST
Weighed down by uneven distribution of rains, kharif sowing prospects look uncertain. The southern peninsula is nearly 34 per cent short of rains and the situation in Maharashtra and parts of Gujarat and Rajasthan isn't too encouraging either.

This has jeopardised the outlook for several crops, including oilseeds, especially groundnut, pulses, notably tur (arhar), cotton and plantations. In fact, paddy and sugarcane can also be adversely affected if the conditions do not improve soon.

The poor monsoon in Maharashtra, the country's second largest soybean growing state, has forced farmers to resow the crop, and raised concerns over prospects of a record oilseed output, traders and industry officials said. Farmers will have to resow soybean in 20-25 per cent of total covered area in Maharashtra because of irregular showers, said Ajay Balotia, a Nagpur-based soybean trader. "The (soybean) seeds sown have dried up due to lack of water," said another Nagpur-based trader.

The inflation rate touched a 13-year high of 11.05 per cent for the week ended June 7, 2008. The big question now is: will the projected above-normal monsoon this year result in a bumper kharif harvest and a softening of food prices? Says B.P. Yadav, Director, Indian Meteorological Department: "We are anticipating a regular monsoon season this year with surplus rains in some parts of the country.'

The monsoon should have been in full swing across Andhra Pradesh in the first week of July. But a prolonged dry spell has raised fears of a failed monsoon with 37 to 47 per cent deficient rainfall and failed crops. Three regions

Radha Sharma | TNN Ahmedabad: Now farmers in Gujarat will get a twice-a-week update on the weather forecast of their district so that they can plan in advance on whether they should irrigate, wait for rains or cultivate the standing crops in time to protect themselves from crop damage. This service has been made possible by a tie-up between the agriculture and the weather department to give forecasts that are useful at the micro-level and help the farmers maximize gains and minimize damages due to fast-changing climate conditions.

Met Says Spell Of Scanty Rainfall Usual, It Will Be A Wet Weekend The city is again on a boil with negligible rainfall and high levels of humidity making the heat seem more oppressive than the actual reading. And if you're wondering whether monsoon has taken a break, here's what the Met office has to say.

The much-heralded early onslaught of monsoon showers took the weekend off, sparing Delhiites the unexpected downpours and soggy clothes. Up until Sunday evening, the Safdarjung Meteorological Department (SDM) recorded zero rainfall. Cloudy skies with spells of sunshine saw holidaymakers making the most of the outdoors, crowding around India Gate or boating in the historic moat of Purana Qila.

The Southwest Monsoon has broken in right earnest much ahead of schedule over northern Madhya Pradesh that was reeling under drought conditions for the past few years. Isolated medium to heavy rain is being recorded in the rest of the state.