Rainy season or the monsoon is the most cherished season by the people as well as Bollywood. While the season has had a culminating rendition in most parts of the country, Delhi, Kerala, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttarakhand are still on the receiving end. Repercussions in the form of human casualties have been seen. The question that arises is why has October been so rainy this time?
OCTOBER’21 IS OVERT TO RAINS
October is the month of transition. And this transition is marked by localized heavy rainfall and snowfall. Thanks to the withdrawal of the southwest monsoon that has given way to the northeast monsoon which is responsible for bringing rain.
But this year, October is more than the usual rainy it used to be. Above all, the National Capital Territory had its wettest 24-hour periods in several decades. Moreover, Ladakh, the higher reaches of Kashmir, and Uttarakhand have reported the season’s first snowfall.
Usually, monsoon season retreats by September 17, as per a report of the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). However, this time the withdrawal began on October 6. The meteorologists blame an amalgamation of factors such as delayed monsoon and the development of low-pressure areas at multiple places for this.
WESTERN DISTURBANCES HAVEN’T CAUSED TOO MUCH DISTURBANCE?
Low-pressure areas receive disturbance by a set of winds that arise from the Mediterranean sea and travel to the northern Indian subcontinent bringing along moisture, rain, and snow. Since these winds disturb the low-pressure areas, hence they are the “Western disturbances (WD)”.
“Whenever there is a low-pressure system, depending on its strength, it results in heavy to very heavy rainfall activity. In addition, when a low-pressure system interacts with western disturbance, further intense rainfall occurs,” said Mrutyunjay Mohaptra, Director General, Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
Read here | Kerala Floods: Death Toll Rises to 26
DELAYED MONSOON WITHDRAWAL | WHY HAS OCTOBER BEEN SO RAINY THIS YEAR?
Had monsoon departed on time, there would not have been such torrential rain, say experts.
As per the experts, the normal date for withdrawal of monsoon from the entire country is October 15. However, this year, the monsoon will retreat entirely by October 26.
