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🇮🇳 India /Environment & Climate

July rainfall deficit manageable, but June's shortfall remains a challenge

From Hindustan Times · () English

Translated from English, summarized and contextualized by DistantNews.

At a glance

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  • July rainfall in India is currently experiencing a deficit, marking the 36th driest July since 1901, though the shortfall is relatively small.
  • While the July deficit is manageable and could be erased with moderate rainfall, the larger deficit accumulated in June remains a significant challenge.
  • The monsoon season's overall deficit, impacting groundwater and reservoirs, is substantial and requires prolonged periods of heavy rain to rectify, compounded by geographically skewed rainfall patterns.

India's monsoon season is facing a rainfall deficit, with July experiencing its 36th driest period since 1901. Although the current month's shortfall is only about 7% below the long-term average, it follows a dry start to the monsoon season.

While this month's shortfall may narrow, June's deficit remains harder to erase.

— Hindustan Times analysisHighlighting the difficulty in overcoming the accumulated rainfall deficit from the previous month.

The deficit accumulated in July, amounting to 9.8 mm, is considered manageable. If rainfall returns to the levels seen in early July, the deficit could be erased within a few days. However, this recovery would not be enough to address the larger deficit from June, which poses a more significant challenge.

The July deficit can be compensated quickly even with small daily surpluses…

— Hindustan Times analysisExplaining the potential for July's rainfall deficit to be recovered.

The cumulative rainfall deficit for the entire season stands at 19.8%, or 62.1 mm below the average. Erasing this substantial deficit would require nearly 20 days of rainfall at the rate observed in early July. This is crucial for recharging groundwater, reservoirs, and other water sources.

…but overall surplus is far too big to be compensated with a few days of surplus

— Hindustan Times analysisEmphasizing the challenge of erasing the season's larger cumulative deficit.

Compounding the issue, the monsoon's rainfall is geographically skewed. Over 57% of the country is experiencing a deficit of 20% or more, a threshold the India Meteorological Department classifies as "deficient" rainfall. This uneven distribution further complicates efforts to alleviate the overall water shortage.

Cumulative rain this season is currently 251.7 mm, 19.8% or 62.1 mm less than the LPA.

— Hindustan Times analysisQuantifying the overall rainfall deficit for the monsoon season.
DistantNews Editorial

Originally published by Hindustan Times in English. Translated, summarized, and contextualized by our editorial team with added local perspective. Read our editorial standards.

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