The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday that the northeast monsoon rainfall in the core region of South India for October this year was the sixth lowest since 1901. South India has fared very poorly in October as Northeast monsoon sets in, reveals the  India Meteorological Department.

The northeast monsoon rainfall in the core region of South India for October this year was the sixth lowest since 1901, India Meteorological Department (IMD) told the media on Tuesday at Chennai (?).

The core region of the South Peninsula includes coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, South Interior Karnataka and Kerala. 

Anyway, between 1980 and 2022, there has been  a consistent trend of delayed onset of northeast monsoon rainfall over Tamil Nadu and its neighbouring areas, it has been  pointed out.

Elaborating on the data,  Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the Director General of IMD, pointed out that in years with El Nino and Positive Indian Ocean Dipole conditions, Tamil Nadu and its adjacent regions experienced reduced rainfall during the month of October. 

The IMD also said that monthly rainfall for November over the South Peninsular India consisting of five meteorological subdivisions (Tamil Nadu, Puducherry & Karaikal, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Yanam, Rayalaseema, Kerala, Mahe and South Interior Karnataka) was most likely to be normal (77-123 per cent Long Period Average, LPA).

“Monthly rainfall over the country as a whole during November is also most likely to be normal. Above normal rainfall is likely over some areas of southern most part of peninsular India, most parts of northwest India, many parts of east-central, east and northeast India. Below-normal to normal rainfall is likely over the remaining parts of the country,” the IMD predicted. 

The IMD also said that above normal maximum temperatures were likely to prevail over most parts of the country, except for some regions of northwest India and Central India, where normal maximum temperatures were likely. Similarly, above normal minimum temperatures were likely over the rest of the country.

“Currently, moderate El Nino conditions are prevailing over Equatorial Pacific Ocean and positive Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions over the Indian Ocean. The latest global model forecasts indicate that these El Nino conditions are likely to continue during the upcoming season too but positive IOD conditions are likely to weaken during the upcoming months,” it added.