Rainfall over the country as a whole during monsoon season (June-September), 2023 was 94% of its long period average (LPA).
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its end of season report stated that seasonal rainfalls over Northwest India, Central India, South Peninsula and Northeast (NE) India were 101%, 100%, 92% and 82% of respective LPA.
The southwest monsoon seasonal (June to September) rainfall over the monsoon core zone, which consists of most of the rainfed agriculture regions in the country received 101% of LPA and thus was normal (94-106% of LPA).
Out of the total 36 meteorological subdivisions, three subdivisions constituting 9% of the total area of the country received excess, 26 subdivisions received normal rainfall (73% of the total area) and seven subdivisions (18% of the total area) received deficient season rainfall.
The seven Meteorological subdivisions which got deficient rainfall are Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura (NMMT), Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Bihar, East UP, South interior Karnataka and Kerala.
Monthly rainfall over the country as a whole was 91% of LPA in June, 113% of LPA in July, 64% of LPA in August, and 113% of LPA in September.
Southwest monsoon current advanced to south Andaman Sea and Nicobar Islands in time (on May 19, three days ahead of its normal date). However, further advance thereafter was sluggish. It set in over Kerala on June 8, seven days behind the normal date and covered the entire country by July 2, six days ahead of normal date. Monsoon withdrawal commenced from west Rajasthan on September 25 (with a delay of eight days).
The forecast for monsoon onset over Kerala for this year was correct, which is the seventeenth consecutive correct forecast for this event except year 2015 since the commencement of this forecast in 2005. The Forecast date of onset of monsoon over Kerala was June 4 with a model error of ± 4 days and monsoon set in over Kerala on June 8.
The forecasts for the rainfall over the country as whole during the season as a whole could be predicted well as the realized rainfall is 94% of LPA against the forecast of 96% ± 4%.
