Expect good rainfall this month,says Met

After the below-normal performance of the monsoon this month,with Colaba recording the lowest June rainfall from 2004-2012 ,the Met department expects good rainfall in the city this month,with the first spell of heavy rains expected around July 3.

After the below-normal performance of the monsoon this month,with Colaba recording the lowest June rainfall from 2004-2012 ,the Met department expects good rainfall in the city this month,with the first spell of heavy rains expected around July 3.

Despite heavy showers on Wednesday night and moderate showers on Thursday morning and in the interim period,June could make only a slight improvement in its rainfall figures,with Santacruz recording 305.7 mm rainfall upto 5.30 pm on the last day of the month,while Colaba recorded 178 mm. The rainfall figures before Wednesday were 203.8 mm for Santacruz and at 128 mm for Colaba. This is the worst performance of the south-west monsoon in Colaba from 2004 to 2012,even below the lowest that is 2009s 263.8 mm,a bad monsoon year. Santacruz fared only a tad better recording the second lowest total in the same period,behind only 2009s 218.2 mm.

These are well below the normal rain figures for June,which for Santacruz is 524.7 mm and 553.7 mm for Colaba.

The performance of the south-west monsoon has been weak throughout the country in June. However,the India Meteorological Department(IMD) has predicted it to fare better in July and August with rainfall over the country in July expected to be 98 per cent of Long Period Average (LPA) and 96 per cent of LPA in August. Although there was a spell on Thursday and some activity on Saturday,the monsoon still has not fully activated. The south-westerly winds over the Arabian Sea are not strong enough which is linked to the high pressure zone over the southern hemisphere being weak. However,a heavy spell is expected around July 3 or 4, said VK Rajeev,Director of weather forecast,India Meteorological Department (IMD). In the interim period,the weather department expects some passing showers in the city.

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