Monsoon rainfall patterns are changing in our country and it has become more so evident in the recent past few years.
Last year, Monsoon covered the entire country by July 19, four days after its normal date. It also withdrew from the country on October 9, which was almost after a month as normal date goes back to September 1. According to Skymet Weather, these weather data cited to give the reference dates back to 1940s and it needed to be revised.
The issue is so significant that as a matter of fact, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD), the government body holding weather records for the country, is all set to change the reference dates for onset and withdrawal of Southwest Monsoon from this year.
The same was revealed on Wednesday in a conference by the Ministry of Earth Sciences. The change in the dates will definitely help farmers who can take a call on sowing crops.
Southwest Monsoon is a four-month long season beginning from June 1 and lasting till September 30. June 1 which is the onset date for Monsoon over Kerala is likely to remain the same. However, IMD will change the reference dates for the onset over some states and cities.
Central India comprising of sub-divisions like Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Madhya Pradesh, East Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, central Maharashtra, Konkan & Goa, Gujarat region and Kutch and Saurashtra might see a change in the onset dates.
The dates for Monsoon Withdrawal are also set to be changed. Monsoon starts withdrawing from Northwest India from September 1 which would be most likely to be shifted to September 10.
The new dates are expected to be announced in April when the IMD releases its First Long Range Forecast for Monsoon 2020. It’s interesting to note that IMD nowhere mentioned ‘climate change’ behind the drifting Monsoon.
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Any information taken from here should be credited to Skymet Weather