Rainfall data of Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya of Sep 2019

(Click the image for enlarged view)

Save the Hills: As per the table (below) we came to the end of the 2019 SW Monsoon season in September.

Excerpts from IMD's press release on the 2019 SW monsoon is reproduced below:

* The 2019 southwest monsoon season comes to end with above normal seasonal (June to September) rainfall. Quantitatively monsoon seasonal rainfall was 110% of its Long Period Average, which is 88 cm.

* In spite of late monsoon onset and large deficient rainfall during the month of June, the seasonal rainfall ended in above normal category with 110% of its LPA. Monsoon rainfall during July, August and September were 105%, 115% and 152% of its Long Period Average respectively.

* Other salient features of 2019 monsoon seasonal rainfall are as follows:

  - After 1994 (110% of LPA), rainfall received in 2019 (110 % of LPA) is the highest

season rainfall received by the country as a whole.

  - During 18 of the last 19 years (2001-2019), North-East India has received seasonal rainfall less than LPA with an exception of 2007 (110% of LPA). This indicates that the seasonal rainfall over North-East India is passing through a below normal epoch like it was during early 1950s to mid-1980s.

  - After 1931, this is the first time, the seasonal rainfall is more than LPA even after the June rainfall deficiency was more than 30% of LPA.

  - After 1996 (119 % of LPA) , this is the highest recorded August rainfall (115% of LPA).

  - This is the second highest September rainfall (152 of LPA), after 1917 (165% of LPA).

  -  After 2010, this is the first time, rainfalls during all the last three months (July to September) were above LPA.

  -  The highest cumulative rainfall during August-September (130 %) has been recorded in 2019 after 1983 (142 %)

Withdrawal of Southwest Monsoon, 2019

The withdrawal of southwest monsoon is likely to commence from northwest India around 10th October, 2019 against the normal date of 01st September. The most delayed withdrawal in the past years has been recorded in 1961 (1st October 1961), followed by 30th September in 2007.

Ms Shreya Gurung

Praful Rao

Kalimpong district

Darjeeling-Sikkim Himalaya