BHUBANESWAR: With India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicting a normal monsoon for the country, Odisha too is likely to receive good rainfall in the forthcoming season. IMD DG Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra on Tuesday said normal rainfall will likely prevail in peninsular, east, north-east and over some parts of north-west India.Odisha comes under the core monsoon zone and the state normally receives 1,150 mm rainfall between June and September.
Director of Bhubaneswar Meteorological Centre HR Biswas said Odisha is expected to receive normal rainfall this season too. The state normally receives 209.3 mm rainfall in June, 341.4 mm in July, 363.8 mm in August and 235.7 mm in September. Since 2000, Odisha has not recorded deficit rainfall during monsoons, he informed.Last year, Odisha had recorded four per cent excess rainfall. In 2021, the state received nine per cent less showers. A variation of 19 per cent on either side is considered normal in meteorological terms.
“In last 122 years, Odisha has received deficit rainfall only during seven monsoon seasons. The state last witnessed a deficit season in 2000 and recorded 25 per cent less than normal rainfall during the monsoon,” said Biswas. Normal monsoon notwithstanding, many blocks experienced deficient rain because of erratic nature of rainfall during the season.
Extreme rainfall events though help paint a picture of normal monsoon, prolonged dry patches affect farm activities across districts during periods of key agricultural activities. Scientist, IMD Umasankar Das said positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions are likely to develop during this monsoon which will help the monsoon.
During monsoon, the state’s rainfall activity witnesses a significant increase due to low pressure areas forming over the Bay of Bengal. Every year during monsoon season, at least 10 to 12 low pressure areas form over the bay and this intensifies the rainfall activity in the state, said Das.