As the southwest monsoon is all set to end on a sour note, the state is pinning its hopes on the approaching northeast monsoon. But the India Meteorological Department (IMD) is not expecting the northeast monsoon before October 10. The southwest monsoon was 23 per cent deficient in the state. Till Friday, the state got only 154 cm rainfall against the normal 199.5 cm.
The northeast monsoon normally provides only 16 per cent of the annual rainfall.
During the northeast monsoon season, from October to December, the state is expected to get 48 cm rainfall.
According to studies, the northeast monsoon has shown an increasing trend while the southwest monsoon was decreasing in the last decade. Last year, retreating monsoon was 6 per cent deficient in the state.
“The onset of northeast monsoon rainfall will be marked by the development of weather systems in the Bay of Bengal, flow of easterly winds and strengthening of rainfall in the Tamil Nadu coast. We are not expecting the northeast monsoon before October 10, though the season begins in October 1,” said K Santhosh, director, IMD, here.