With chances of El Nino weather pattern receding, the agriculture ministry hopes that rainfall in September will be better than what was earlier forecast by the Met department. This would be a great boon in the sowing season. Earlier this month, the IMD had forecast a below-normal monsoon in September due to a likely warming of the Pacific Ocean. Due to last week’s low pressure area over northwest Bay of Bengal and surrounding areas and its west-northwesterly movement, active to vigorous monsoon conditions prevailed over parts of northwest and central India. However, the southern peninsula started getting rains mainly from August 24.
According to the Met department, an upper air cyclonic circulation is lying over northwest Bay of Bengal and a low pressure area has developed under its influence. An upper air cyclonic circulation also lies over east-central Arabian Sea between 3.1 and 5.8 metres, above the mean sea level. Rainfall will be generally below normal over southeast peninsular India. However, moderate to heavy rains have been predicted over Andhra Pradesh, especially over Telangana and coastal Andhra for the next 24 to 48 hours.