Driest September In 17 Years | Latest Burning Issues

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THIS SEP IS DRIEST SEP IN 17 YEARS

The current month is set to end as the driest September in 17 years, with rainfall almost a third below normal.
September has seen a rainfall deficiency of 22.3 per cent, and weather scientists say not much rain is expected in the remainder of the month .
That could well leave September with a deficiency of over 30%. Never since 2001, with a 35.8% shortfall, has September been so dry.

According to the IMD data, 12 of out the country’s 36 meteorological subdivisions have registered deficient rainfall – i.e. departure of 20 per cent of more from long period average – during this monsoon season till September 19.
This covers the whole of Gujarat (including Saurashtra and Kutch), Bihar, Jharkhand, West Rajasthan, Haryana (including Delhi and Chandigarh), the entire North East (Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Mizoram, Manipur and Tripura), Rayalaseema and North Interior Karnataka
The lack of strong LPS (low pressure system)activity is likely the only cause of low rainfall in this month, and also this season,
According to the IMD, there were only six significant depressions this season, including the one that brought the ongoing rain over central India.

One of the reasons why we did not see a strong low pressure system developing over the Bay of Bengal side, is that around the same time, some cyclonic activity in the west Pacific region was taking place. Japan had some good rainfall and so did Philippines.
The moisture over the Bay of Bengal got sucked in by those systems,
The poor rainfall activity this month is, however, unlikely to significantly impact agricultural production.

The main reason for it is that much of kharif plantings happen in June-July.
There are concerns over the cotton crop in Gujarat’s main Saurashtra belt, which is in boll formation and flowering stage. Moisture stress could affect yields, but the positive news this time is that no large-scale pest attacks — whether by pink bollworm or whitely —