Mumbai: The anticipation surrounding India’s monsoon season has encountered a stumbling block as rains lose their vigor, leaving northern regions at risk of prolonged heatwaves, according to two senior meteorological officials, as reported by the international news agency Reuters.
Traditionally, the onset of summer rains, vital for catalyzing economic growth in Asia’s third-largest economy, initiates in the southern regions by June 1, eventually enveloping the entire nation by July 8, facilitating the sowing of crucial crops like rice, cotton, soybeans, and sugarcane.
“The monsoon has slowed down after reaching Maharashtra and may take a week to regain momentum,” revealed an official from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), speaking to Reuters on condition of anonymity.
While the monsoon reached the western state, including the commercial hub Mumbai, nearly two days ahead of schedule, its progression towards central and northern states faces a delay of a few days, the official continued.
The lifeline of India’s economy, the monsoon provides almost 70% of the requisite rainfall, essential for irrigating farms and replenishing reservoirs and aquifers.
Without alternative irrigation measures, approximately half of the agricultural lands in the world’s second-largest producer of rice, wheat, and sugar rely solely on these annual rains, typically spanning from June to September.
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According to IMD data, temperatures in northern India are soaring, ranging between 42 degrees Celsius and 46 degrees Celsius (108 degrees Fahrenheit to 115 degrees Fahrenheit), marking an alarming 3 to 5 degrees Celsius (5 to 9 degrees Fahrenheit) above the normal average.
Over the next fortnight, India’s northern and eastern states, including Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Punjab, Haryana, Uttarakhand, and Odisha, brace for scorching heatwaves, cautioned another weather official.
“Weather models are not indicating any early respite from the heatwave,” the official emphasized. “The delay in the monsoon’s progress will increase temperatures in the northern plains.”
Both officials opted for anonymity as they lacked authorization to address the media on the matter.
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India finds itself amidst a broader pattern of intense summer heatwaves affecting various parts of Asia, a phenomenon exacerbated by human-induced climate change, scientists assert.
New Delhi, the capital, witnessed unprecedented temperatures soaring up to 49.9 degrees Celsius (122 degrees Fahrenheit) in certain areas this month, compounding the challenge of water scarcity amidst blistering heat reaching 44 degrees Celsius (112 degrees Fahrenheit).
The outlook for rains in central, northern, and certain western regions appears grim, with expectations of precipitation falling below average over the next two weeks, revealed the second official.
Since the season’s commencement on June 1, India has encountered a rainfall deficit of 1% compared to the normal levels, as per IMD data.
