The government says monsoon rainfall was normal [92% of long period average (LPA)] for the country as a whole in June 2022. The LPA of rainfall for the month of June is 165.4 mm based on data from 1971-2020. Rainfall in June is said to be normal if it is in the range of 92% to 108% of LPA. In a written reply to a question in the Lok Sabha today, the Union Minister for Science and Technology (Independent Representative); Minister of State (Independent Representative) for Earth Sciences; MoS PMO, Personnel, Public Grievances, Pensions, Atomic Energy and Space, Dr Jitendra Singh informed about the early onset of southwest monsoon and said that it is an inherent feature observed in the inter-annual variability of monsoon behaviour.
This year monsoon onset over Kerala was on 29 May 2022 against the normal date of 01 June (3 days before the normal date) and covered the entire country on 2 July 2022 against the normal date of 8 July i.e. six days. before the normal date of monsoon coverage for the entire country. The monsoon remained active in July due to the formation and movement of low pressure systems over central India and the monsoon trough lying to the south of its normal position. Seasonal rainfall details for the country as a whole and for four homogeneous regions up to 20 July. Citing a report published by IMD, Dr Jitendra Singh informed that the five states of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, West Bengal, Meghalaya and Nagaland have shown significant downward trends in southwest monsoon rainfall during the last 30 years (1989-2018). Annual rainfall in these five states along with the states of Arunachal Pradesh and Himachal Pradesh also shows a significant decreasing trend. Other states show no significant changes in southwest monsoon rainfall during the same period.
IMD has studied and researched the observed changes in rainfall patterns and their extremes over the past 30 years in various states and districts and 29 states and UT reports on “Observed Variability and Changes in Rainfall” were released by IMD in January 2020. The reports are also available to the public at IMD Pune. If we consider district-wise rainfall, there are many districts in the country that show significant changes in southwest monsoon and annual rainfall during the last 30 years (1989–2018). In terms of frequency of heavy rain days, a significant increasing trend can be seen over Saurashtra & Kutch, Southeast Rajasthan, Northern Tamil Nadu, Northern Andhra Pradesh and adjoining areas of Southwest Odisha, many parts of Chhattisgarh, Southwest Madhya Pradesh, West Bengal, Manipur & Mizoram, Konkan & Goa and Uttarakhand.
