Heavy rainfall spells will continue over Tamil Nadu and Rayalaseema for the next five days
The southwest monsoon is likely to withdraw from Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat and Madhya Pradesh in the next four-five days, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The IMD’s announcement comes at a time when heavy rains have thrown life in various regions of Uttar Pradesh completely out of gear. Farmers in India’s largest state are facing significant losses as their crops have been devastated by incessant rains since October 5, 2022.
“Conditions are very likely to become favourable for withdrawal of southwest monsoon from some more parts of northwest and central India during next four-five days,” the weather agency said in its forecast issued October 12, 2022.
Some 67 of the 75 districts of Uttar Pradesh recorded excess rainfall since October 1, according to IMD. Some 580,000 people in 650 villages across 16 districts have been affected by floods, according to the UP Relief Commissioner, Prabhu Narain Singh.
Grey stands for ‘No Data’, Red for ‘Deficient’, Blue for ‘Large Excess’, Green for ‘Normal’, Yellow for ‘Large Deficient’ and Light Blue for ‘Excess’
Schools in several cities, including Lucknow, Noida, Gaziabad, Kanpur and Agra, are still closed. More than 18 people have died in different rain-related incidents across the state, according to media reports.
Rivers like the Ghaghra, Sharda and Rapti, major tributaries of the Ganga, are in spate. The districts of eastern Uttar Pradesh — Bahraich, Shravasti, Balrampur, Gorakhpur, Jaunpur and Azamgarh — are the most affected.
In the rest of the country, heavy rainfall spells will continue over Tamil Nadu and the Rayalaseema region of Andhra Pradesh for the next five days and interior Karnataka in the next two days, the forecast added.
IMD attributed these projected rainfalls to cyclonic circulations prevailing over parts of Kerala and the Bay of Bengal. The amount of rain in Uttar Pradesh this month has been 500 per cent above average, according to the Mint daily.
The damage to major summer crops like rice, soyabeans, cotton, pulses and vegetables is likely to fuel food inflation in the country.
Increased food costs might push the Reserve Bank of India to increase interest rates again and prompt government to impose new limits on the export of food products like rice, wheat and sugar.
In northwest India, the rainy season typically ends by mid-September. It should be over for the entire country by mid-October.
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A community kitchen being set up for flood-affected people in Nanpara tehsil of Bahraich district, UP. Photo: @rahat_up / Twitter.png)
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