'Monsoonal rains swing from 10% deficit to surplus in 8 days'

New Delhi: The bountiful rains in many parts of India in the first eight days of July have bridged the rainfall deficit for the entire country, India Meteorological Department's (IMD) data said. The cumulative rainfall in the monsoon season has reached 243.2 mm, which is 2 percent above the normal of 239.1 mm.

However, there are regional variations in rainfall. As per the latest IMD data, while the eastern and northeastern region has recorded a deficiency of 17 percent (375.3 mm against a normal of 454 mm), north India has witnessed 59 percent excess rainfall (199.7 mm against a normal of 125.5 percent).

Central India, where a large number of farmers rely on monsoonal rains, has recorded 264.9 mm rainfall against a normal of 255.1 mm, an excess of 4 percent.

The rainfall deficiency in south India has reduced from 45 percent to 23 percent.

At the end of June, the cumulative rainfall for the entire country was 148.6 mm, which was 10 percent below the normal precipitation. However, the recent rains have significantly improved the situation.

The IMD had earlier predicted normal rainfall in July, ranging from 94 to 106 percent of the long-period average. However, below-normal precipitation is expected in many areas of northwest, northeast and southeast peninsular India.

The incessant rains over northwest India since Saturday have set all-time records at many places.

While Delhi recorded 153 mm rainfall in a 24-hour period ending at 8:30 am on Sunday, the highest in a single day in July since 1982, Chandigarh and Ambala reported record rainfall of 322.2 mm and 224.1 mm respectively.

Many areas in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, coastal Karnataka and Gujarat have recorded "heavy to very heavy" precipitation.

(With PTI inputs)