Bhopal (Madhya Pradesh): The southwest monsoon is expected to depart completely in the next two to three days from Madhya Pradesh, at least 11 to 12 days beyond its usual withdrawal date of September 30, the Met department said on Saturday even as the minimum or morning temperature has started dipping in the state signalling that the onset of winter is not far.
The southwest monsoon withdrew from large parts of MP on Saturday, a senior meteorologist said.
Though the minimum temperature has started falling the maximum temperature in MP has gradually started soaring due to the clearing of the sky as the southwest monsoon is retreating.
"The minimum temperature has fallen by one to three degrees Celsius in the last two-three days," PK Saha, a senior meteorologist with the India Meteorological Department's Bhopal office told PTI.
He said the minimum temperature of Bhopal fell to 21.6 degrees Celsius on Saturday morning. It was 24 degrees Celsius on October 5, he added.
The minimum temperature in Indore, Gwalior and Jabalpur dipped to 22.6, 20.4 and 21.9 degrees Celsius, respectively, Saha said.
He said the lowest minimum temperature of 19 degrees Celsius was recorded in Madhya Pradesh at Mandla, Nawgaon in Chhatarpur and Raisen district at 8.30 am on Saturday.
At the same time, the maximum or day temperature in MP has started increasing. It has soared by one to two degrees Celsius in the central Indian state due to the clearing of the sky as the southwest monsoon has withdrawn from large parts of the state.
The maximum temperature of 37.4 degrees Celsius was recorded in Gwalior at 5.30 PM on Saturday.
Saha said the monsoon is expected to depart in the next two to three days completely from MP.
The monsoon withdrawal line was passing through Mandla, Hoshangabad and Indore on Saturday, he added.
Saha said the southwest monsoon that arrived in Madhya Pradesh on June 10, seven days ahead of its schedule, is likely to depart 11 or 12 days beyond its usual withdrawal date which is September 30.
The rainy season in the state has stretched a bit longer this time as it normally begins on the first day of June and ends on the last day of September, he said.
Madhya Pradesh has received little more than its average quota of rainfall as the 2021 monsoon season has officially ended on September 30, another meteorologist GD Mishra said.
Till September 30 morning, MP had received 945.2 mm rainfall, as against the normal rainfall of 940.6 mm, he added.
Sheopur district received 100 per cent more rainfall than its average, while Guna and Shivpuri districts recorded 84 per cent and 62 per cent more than their average rainfall, respectively, during the same period. These three districts in north Madhya Pradesh received abundant showers during the monsoon, he said.
North MP, particularly Gwalior and Chambal divisions, were ravaged by floods in August.
In all, 11 districts in MP received excess showers, while nine districts remained rain deficient till September 30, the senior meteorologist said.
Mishra said the Damoh district in the Bundelkhand region of MP recorded a 38 per cent drop in the average rainfall - the lowest for any district. Against the average of 1,046.3 mm, the region has received only 644.8 mm of rainfall between June 1 and September 30.
A total of 31 districts, including Bhopal, Indore and Gwalior, have received normal rainfall during this monsoon season so far, he said.
Mishra also said 15 per cent less rainfall in east MP has been offset by 15 per cent excess showers in the western region of the state.
The IMD has divided MP into two parts - east with 20 districts and west with 31 districts.
Madhya Pradesh has 52 districts, but the Tikamgarh district has not been added in any of these two parts.
In June, MP received copious showers, but July, which usually sees hectic rain activity, experienced a dry spell, Mishra added.
