IMD: Pre-monsoon rainfall deficit drops to 22 per cent

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Pre-monsoon rainfall from March to May, a phenomenon vital to agriculture in several parts of the country, has recorded a deficiency of 22 per cent, said India Meteorological Department (IMD) data.

The IMD recorded 75.9 millimetres of rainfall from March 1 to May 15 as against the normal rainfall of 96.8 millimetres, which comes to around minus 22 per cent. From March 1 to April 24, the IMD recorded a deficiency of 27 per cent. The deficiency this week seems to have fallen over the last fortnight due to rains over east and northeast India.

Meanwhile, the southwest monsoon has advanced into South Andaman Sea and conditions are favourable for it to reach the North Andaman Sea and the Andaman Islands in the next 2-3 days, the IMD said.

The south peninsula, which comprises all the southern states, has recorded pre-monsoon deficiency of 46 per cent, the highest in the country. There was no deficiency in the central region which comprises Maharashtra, Goa, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and MP.

However, from March 1 to April 24 the pre-monsoon rainfall recorded in the central division was five per cent less than normal. The region has also been witnessing intense heat waves and several dams in the Marathwada region of Maharashtra have reached zero storage level.

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