New Delhi

Monsoon in India slipped into the negative zone on Friday (August 11) with an overall deficit of one per cent after a sustained dry spell this month. Rainfall across India since June 1 remained within the normal range of ±4, while the monsoon in August till now has been 29 per cent below the long-period average with the southern part of the country having been particularly dry, says a report in the Times of India (TOI). 

Advertisment

Citing experts, the report said the break in monsoon, which had started nearly a week back, was likely to continue till Wednesday (August 16). "It's a classical break in the monsoon that we are seeing for close to a week now. It may last till around August 16, when a low-pressure system may form over the Bay of Bengal followed by another a few days later," veteran meteorologist M Rajeevan told the publication. 

Rajeevan said these systems were likely to bring rain to states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh and some adjoining areas, as per the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) forecast. However, the veteran meteorologist pointed out that widespread rainfall across the country was unlikely after August 20. 

IMD issues fresh rain alerts

Advertisment

Meanwhile, the IMD issued fresh rain alerts on Friday. In a statement, the IMD said, "Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall likely to continue over Uttarakhand during next 5 days and over Bihar, Sikkim, Arunachal Pradesh and Assam & Meghalaya during next 2 days and isolated heavy rainfall thereafter for subsequent 3 days."

"Subdued rainfall activity likely over rest parts of the country during next one week and likely revival of active Monsoon conditions thereafter," the statement added. 

The weather bureau said it is likely there would be light/moderate scattered to fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy rainfall over Himachal Pradesh till Sunday, over Uttarakhand till Tuesday (August 15), over Punjab and Haryana till Sunday, and over West Uttar Pradesh till Monday (August 14). 

Advertisment

In east India, "Light/moderate fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with isolated heavy rainfall activity very likely over Bihar, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim during 11th -13th August; over Gangetic West Bengal on 12th & 13th and over Jharkhand on 12th & 13th August. Isolated very heavy rainfall likely over Bihar and Sub-Himalaya West Bengal & Sikkim on 11th & 12th August," the statement further said. 

WATCH WION LIVE HERE

You can now write for wionews.com and be a part of the community. Share your stories and opinions with us here.