National Weather Forecasting Centre of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), has come out with the ‘End of the Season—Southwest Monsoon 2020’.

The report highlights the following Significant Features:

• The seasonal (June-September) rainfall over the country as a whole was 109% of its Long Period Average (LPA) in 2020. It was the third highest after 112% of LPA in 1994 and 110 % of LPA in 2019.
• Seasonal rainfalls over Northwest India, Central India, South Peninsula and Northeast (NE) India were 84%, 115%, 130% and 106% of their respective LPA.
• Out of 36 meteorological subdivisions, 2 subdivisions (5% of the total area of the country) received large excess rainfall, 13 subdivisions (35% of the total area of the country) received excess rainfall, 16 subdivisions (45% of the total area of the country) received normal seasonal rainfall and 5 subdivisions (15% of the total area of the country) received deficient season rainfall during the season.
• Monthly rainfall over the country as a whole was 118% of LPA in June, 90% of LPA in July, 127% of LPA in August, and 104% of LPA in September.

• Southwest monsoon current reached south Andaman Sea and Nicobar Islands on 17th May 2020 (5 days ahead of its normal date), but further advance was sluggish. It set in over Kerala on 1st June coinciding with its normal date for onset over Kerala; Monsoon covered the entire country on 26th June 2020; 12 days before its normal date (8th July).

• Monsoon started withdrawing from western parts of northwest India on 28th September 2020 against the normal date of 17th September 2020 with a delay of around 11 days. The Southwest Monsoon withdrew from the entire country on 28th October 2020.
• During the season, one Severe Cyclonic Storm “NISARGA” formed during 1st to 4th June. This year also witnessed absence of monsoon depression during the season.
• The forecast for monsoon onset over Kerala for this year was correct, which is the fifteenth consecutive correct forecast for the event (except for the year 2015) since issuing of forecast for the onset over Kerala started in 2005. The Forecasted date of onset of monsoon over Kerala was 5th June with a model error of ± 4 days and realized date of onset of monsoon over Kerala was 1th June in this year.
• The forecasts for the rainfall over the country as whole during the season, forecasts for the seasonal rainfall over three broad homogeneous geographical regions (Central India, Northeast India and South Peninsula) and forecast for August rainfall and for rainfall of second half of the monsoon season for the country as a whole were found to be underestimated with respect to the actual rainfall whereas the forecasts for the rainfall for the country as whole during July and forecast for the seasonal rainfall for Northwest India were found to be overestimated as compared to the actual rainfall.

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NB/KGS/(IMD inputs)