India is facing a lackluster monsoon season as the rains have been delayed in several parts of the country, including Maharashtra and Goa. The Indian Meteorological Department's region-wise departure rainfall map shows that rainfall deficits in central India, east and northeast India, the southern peninsula, and northwest India stand at 67 pc, 42 pc, 22 pc, and 6 pc, respectively.
The monsoon rainfall across India was nearly 40% below normal as of June 17, according to the latest data from the India Meteorological Department. The rainfall season spans between June to September and accounts for the bulk of the country's annual rainfall.
Experts have identified five main factors behind the slowdown in the monsoon's northward progress. Firstly, the current monsoon flow lacks a strong surge from the Arabian Sea. Secondly, low-level southwesterly winds linked to the monsoon circulation have weakened over the Arabian Sea, resulting in reduced moisture transport towards the Maharashtra coast and interior regions.
Thirdly, the cross-equatorial flow over the western Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea, which acts as a moisture source for the southwest monsoon, has weakened during the recent period, resulting in a reduction in monsoon activity. Fourthly, monsoon weather systems such as low-pressure areas or cyclonic circulations over the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, or an offshore trough of sufficient intensity along the west coast that facilitates monsoon advancement, are absent as of now.
Lastly, the weak phase of the Madden-Julian Oscillation (MJO) has also caused the delay. The MJO is a moving system of wind, cloud, and pressure that brings rain as it circles around the equator. When it is in an active phase, it brings more clouds to southern India, which are then carried northwards by the monsoon winds, leading to enhanced rainfall.
