After a bountiful monsoon, Karnataka is witnessing a waning of the post monsoon rains. The northeast monsoon is said to have weakened, resulting in a break for rains.
C.S. Patil from India Meteorological Department (IMD), Bengaluru, said the northeast monsoon was ‘weak’ at present. “Last week, there were two or three cyclones that formed over the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea. This cooled the oceans. Ocean temperatures should be high to cause rains. This takes time,” he said. However, Mr. Patil said light rains are approaching in the next three or four days over south interior Karnataka.
The northeast monsoon is particularly important for parts of Karnataka, like drought-hit Kolar and Bengaluru, and States like Tamil Nadu. “In fact, 70-80% of the rainfall that Tamil Nadu gets is from the north east monsoon,” he explained.
Last year too, Karnataka had seen a deficiency in the post-monsoon season (October to December). According to the IMD, the average deficiency in rainfall in Karnataka was 48%. South Interior Karnataka had 42% less rainfall, with Chickballapur seeing a deficiency of 72%, Kolar 59%, and Bengaluru Urban 53%.
The monsoon this year, on the other hand, was 23% above normal for Karnataka. The June to September period saw south interior Karnataka and north interior Karnataka receiving 23% more rainfall than normal, and coastal Karnataka receiving 22% more. The southwest monsoon had also continued into October, with some places in Karnataka receiving rainfall in excess of 300 mm.
