PUNE: A cyclonic circulation off the Lakshadweep Islands in the Arabian Sea is behind the current spell of heavy rains in Maharashtra and in the peninsular region of the country, according to Indian meteorological department officials here.
IMD deputy director-general (weather forecasting) N. Jayanthi told TNN on Thursday that the heavy rains for the past four days were also being aided by the "discontinuity in the wind flow from the east to the west side of the country".
The spell is likely to continue for another two days, she said, adding that the monsoon had begun to withdraw from the extreme north-west of the country. Till September 22, the country received 12 per cent less rain than the season's normal of 88 cm.
The north-east monsoon season is expected to commence from October 1 and the monsoon system is likely to set in around October 10, the Met department said.
The north-east monsoon spell would help bring rains to the east coast of the country - Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu. Maharashtra, too,would benefit in case of a cyclonic storm in the Arabian Sea, IMD officials said.
Although Pune district received less rainfall till September 22, Pune city received a surplus of 82 cm during this period as against the season's normal of 55 per cent.
State agriculture department officials said Vidharbha and Marathwada regions saw deficient rainfall this year.
The rainfall was good in Konkan, Western Maharashtra, Khandesh and in Latur and Osmanabad in Marathwada. However, most of Marathwada and Vidharbha received less rain, Prakash Mahindre, commissioner of agriculture, Maharashtra state, told Times News Network.
"The situation is bad in Akola,Amravati, Yavatmal, Buldhana, Wardha and Nagpur," Mahindre said. However, bountiful rains in Western Maharashtra and in the Ujani catchment area have brought good news to the sugar sector in the state.
"The monsoon in 2002 and 2003 had been largely deficient, and this year is definitely better," he said.
Mahindre said agriculture in the state had been salvaged by the timely revival of the monsoons in the last week of July. Though the monsoons had arrived in the state almost a fortnight before the usual June 1, the season later saw a month-long lull till the last week of July.
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Heavy rains result of cyclonic circulation in Arabian Sea
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