Barring the foothills of the Himalayas and some pockets in the west coast, rest of the country may not receive much rain till July 17. Till Friday, there was no sign of formation of low pressure zone in the Bay of Bengal, which generally sustain the monsoon.
The IMD admitted subdued rainfall over central India and scattered rainfall in the west and peninsular India. But, it has predicted fair rainfall in east Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
Independent weather forecasters, however, told Deccan Herald that rain in UP and Bihar will occur mostly in the northern part of the states —closer to foothills — as the monsoon trough is moving northwards.
Vast swaths of the Gangetic plain, where paddy is cultivated, will be devoid of rain. Paddy cultivating regions in Jharkhand, Orissa, Bihar and eastern parts of Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh also have shortage of rainfall.
Overall, the country has 10 per cent shortage of rain so far. Out of the four broad regions, only the peninsular India has some excess.
Weathermen are of the opinion that India will receive most of its rainfall quota towards the end of the season due to La Nina — a weather event opposite to the dreaded El Nino, which is generally perceived to be good for Indian monsoon. Most of the rain is expected in August and September. However, it is not ideal for crops, which required rains in July.
