Rajasthan receives above average rainfall; West Bengal to have below normal rain

Rajasthan is receiving some good rain this year. Current figures show that the state has received more than normal rainfall this July. Moreover, continuous rain will only add up to the excess rainfall figures. In the last 24hours, Rajasthan has been left wet and lush green as many parts of the state recorded moderate to heavy rain. Kota recorded 71mm of very heavy rain whereas Jaipur recorded 25mm. Jaisalmer was 1mm and almost always the hottest and driest in the country, Bikaner, also recorded 61mm of rain, which made up for all the deficit it had been facing in the last few weeks.

“Rain is expected to continue in east and south Rajasthan for next 48hrs as the monsoon trough line is oscillating in the area. After 24hrs, rain is expected to reduce in intensity. Rain will mainly be light with moderate in one or two odd pockets. The decrease is because the circulation which was previously at north Rajasthan has moved away. West and north Rajasthan will once again observe mainly dry days ahead”, explains Mahesh Palawat, Head of the weather forecasting team at Skymet Weather.

Currently rain in west Rajasthan is 13% above normal whereas east Rajasthan has received excess rainfall of up to 37% in the month of July.

On the other hand, weather models do not speak anything good for Kolkata and Gangetic West Bengal which have been reeling under below normal rainfall conditions. “Present weather conditions bring both good and bad news for the state. Good news is that a cyclonic circulation, presently at head Bay is affecting West Bengal and may continue to do so for the next three to four days. Bad news is that it may not cover up the above 40% rain deficit that the state has been facing”, informs Mahesh Palawat.

Meanwhile, Kolkata received 56mm of heavy rain in the last 24hrs bringing some smile to the weary faces. Today also it may record around 30mm. But this does not seem enough to cover up the 50% rainfall deficit that the city has been witnessing in the month of July.

“We were so happy when it rained yesterday. We all stepped out and enjoyed every bit of it. The Hooghly looked so beautiful. All of us have been craving for good rain this entire month but the monsoon has been so disappointing”, talks Mrs. Roy, a housewife and mother of two.

“The cyclonic circulation will then move northwards, to give moderate rain over north Orissa, and at parts of Chhattisgarh and Jharkhand in the next 24hours, added Palawat.

Photo by Chirandeep Mukhopadhyay.