Monsoon over average for country as whole: IMD

New Delhi, Oct 5 (UNI) Monsoon rainfall in the period June 1 to September 30 was 105 per cent of its long period average (LPA), though somewhat deficient in six of the 36 meteorological sub-divisions of the country, the IMD today said.

The IMD's Southwest Monsoon 2007 End of the Season Report, released today, said seasonal rainfall was excess by 26 per cent over the South and Peninsular India, deficient (15 per cent below LPA) over the Northwest, eight per cent above LPA over Central India and four per cent above LPA over the Northeast.

Out of the 36 meteorological sub-divisions, the seasonal (June-September) rainfall was excess in 13 and normal in 17 sub-divisions. However, it was deficient in 6 sub-divisions.

Out of 513 meteorological districts for which data were available, 72 per cent of the meteorological districts received excess/normal rainfall and the remaining 28 per cent received deficient/scanty rainfall during the season.

A total of 77 districts (15 per cent) experienced moderate drought and 30 districts (six per cent) experienced severe drought at the end of the season. Five sub-divisions (West Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh and Delhi, Punjab, Himachal Pradesh and east Madhya Pradesh) experienced moderate drought conditions (rainfall deficiency of 26 to 50 per cent) at the end of the season.

The report said that the IMD's long range forecasts for July rainfall over the country as a whole and the 2007 seasonal rainfall over NW India and NE India were proved to be accurate. However, the 2007 monsoon seasonal rainfall over the country as a whole was more than the predicted value.

UNI