Monsoon Likely To Revive in September; IMD

New Delhi, Aug 31: After a period of inadequate rainfall, which led to the country experiencing its driest August since 1901, the Southwest Monsoon is expected to make a comeback over the upcoming weekend, bringing much-needed precipitation to central and southern regions, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday said.

Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of IMD said that September is poised to observe a return to normal rainfall levels, ranging from 91 per cent to 109 per cent of the long-term average of 167.9 mm. Nevertheless, Mohapatra cautioned that even with the potential for elevated September rainfall, the cumulative seasonal average for June to September is projected to remain below par for the season.

Attributing the dearth of rainfall in August to the development of El Nino conditions in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, Mohapatra highlighted that the most influential factor behind this anomaly was the aforementioned climatic phenomenon.

However, Mohapatra shared positive developments, stating that the Indian Ocean Dipole—the contrast in sea surface temperatures between the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal—has begun to display positive tendencies. This shift has the potential to counteract the negative effects of El Nino.