Southwest Monsoons set to depart from Northeast

Agartala, Oct 11 (UNI) The Southwest Monsoons have weakened substantially and would withdraw from the Northeastern region by this week and pleasant weather was expected during the forthcoming Durga Puja celebrations.

Indian Meteorological Department officials told UNI here today that the Monsoon winds were retreating and gradually withdrawing from the western part of the country and expected to depart from the region by October 15.

''There was a surplus of four per cent rainfall above Long Period Average (LPA) over the NE, 26 per cent over the southern peninsula and eight per cent over Central India while it was deficient and about 15 per cent below the LPA over Northwest India,'' the officials said.

The regional rainfall data revealed that except Arunachal Pradesh, all other NE states received excess rainfall, ranging from six per cent to 30 per cent above normal this year.

Tripura, Manipur, Mizoram and Nagaland had received about 30 per cent surplus rainfall, followed by Assam and Meghalaya with six per cent surplus rainfall while Arunachal Pradesh had recorded about 56 per cent deficit rainfall during the season.

Met officials stated that due to a cyclonic formation over Bihar and adjoining Eastern Uttar Pradesh, extending upto 0.9 km above the sea level and an upper air trough running from the system to the North West Bay, extending up to 1.5 km above the sea level, entire NE and few parts of West Bengal had received heavy rainfall during the past 72 hours. It was stated as the last measurable showers in the region this year.

''The present system may weaken after 36 hours and fair weather is expected in the region within the next three to four days,'' the officials said, adding that normal withdrawal of monsoon from NE is October 12 with little variations.

Earlier, rainfall had occured over the region due to a low-pressure system entering North Bangladesh and adjoining Meghalaya and West Bengal, with associated upper air cyclonic circulation extending up to 5.8 km above sea level while a depression crossed Orissa coast and moved northwest to Eastern Uttar Pradesh across Chhattisgarth and Northeast Madhya Pradesh and weakened into a low-pressure area.

UNI