From 225 talukas, 102 have got no rain till June 28; but hope floats as IMD says rains are on cards.
Will it rain today? This is the burning question that is tormenting Ahmedabad’s citizens for the past one week. Most of us spend at least few minutes during the day gazing at the clouded skyline and pondering over whether the moister laden winds would soon bring us rain. The weather office’s take on the predicament is that rains are on cards. Monsoon is knocking at the doors, but unfortunately due to absence of good system the rains haven’t arrived yet.
Although city has got 96 percent less rains than its usual pattern by June 28 and state has got 79 percent less rains by this time, the weather office is yet hopeful. State has got 19.7 mm rainfall till June 28 as against its normal 91.6 mm which is 79 percent less than its usual pattern. With this, city has just got 3.1 mm rainfall till now as against its usual 81 mm by this time – which is 96 percent less than its average. But the weather office is still hopeful and expects that state and city will soon get their due share of rain. Dr.Kamaljit Ray, director, India Meteorological Department, Ahmedabad, said, “Due to an upper air circulation over North West Madhya Pradesh and adjoining Rajasthan, moderate rains could occur in North Gujarat region during next 2 to 3 days.”
Pre-monsoon thundershower activities that brought scattered rains on June 3 in city as well as low pressure system that fetched good amount of initial rains to Saurashtra with timely monsoon onset – were two harbingers that made weather analysts expect timely rains for city and state. However, unfortunately the seasonal variant has remained a dominant factor during currently prevailing ENSO-neutral conditions which have led to increased uncertainty in the monsoon pattern as well as forecasts. Gujarat region which includes 20 sub divisions including Ahmedabad, Gandhinagar, Mehsana, Surat, Tapi, Valsad has got 87 percent lesser rains till June 28. It usually gets 113.6 mm rainfall by June 28, while in this June it has got 15.1 mm of rainfall till now. Saurashtra and Kutch has got 23.7 mm of rains as against 75.6 mm of rainfall by June 28 – which is 69 percent less than its usual pattern.
