South West Monsoon that was expected to bring rain to Coimbatore has thus far brought only disappointment as the rain the district received was less than normal and what was predicted for this year.
The district received 22.5 mm rainfall in June, the first of the four-month Monsoon season, said SP. Ramanathan, Professor and Head, Agro Climate Research Centre, Tamil Nadu Agricultural University.
The Centre had predicted 38 mm rainfall in June based on the last 50 years’ rainfall data for the district during the SW Monsoon season.
For the entire SW Monsoon period – from June to September – it had predicted 189.6 mm rainfall, which it said was normal.
The rainfall in July would be 40 mm, August 40.9 mm and September 70.7 mm.
Mr. Ramanathan said though the Monsoon rain in June was less than what the Centre had predicted there was no room for disappointment as the district would see more rain in July and the two months thereafter.
The 2019 SW Monsoon season too had started on a similar fashion, with June 2019 seeing only 21 mm rainfall.
But at the end of the season in September, the district had received 308 mm, with August 2019 alone seeing 221.3 mm, which was unprecedented.
The Indian Meteorological Department forecast for Coimbatore too was on the Centre’s lines and the district would see good rain in the coming weeks, he added.
