Rainfall deficit reduces

Three weeks of near normal rainfall since mid-August has helped reduce the overall rain deficiency in the country from 29 per cent below normal on August 12 to 23 per cent below normal on September 3.

According to statistics with the Met department,the above normal rainfall in Central 24 per cent and Southern peninsula 49 per cent during the week ending September 2 has helped the overall weekly monsoon rainfall in the country get marginally past normal 4 per cent even as the Northwestern -21 per cent and Northeastern -33 per cent received deficient rainfall.

The improved rainfall has helped bridge the overall rain deficit in the country since mid-August. However,Met department statistics reveal that 24 of the 36 meteorological regions comprising 74 per cent of the geographical area still remain deficient in rainfall. The only improvement appears to be decline in the area that was reeling under scanty rainfall below -60 per cent rainfall,which has now come under deficient rainfall category deficiency between -20 per cent to -59 per cent.