`Favorable La Nina conditions': Andhra to witness above-normal rainfall this monsoon

Vijayawada: Andhra Pradesh is likely to witness normal to above-normal rainfall during the southwest monsoon this year. India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecasted favorable La Nina conditions from June to September

IMD on Thursday said that the rainfall during the southwest monsoon season will be 96 percent to 104 percent of the Long Period Average (LPA) of 87 cm of the 1971-2020 period. Earlier, the IMD used to consider the LPA of 88 cm of the 1961-2010 period. Quantitatively, the June to September monsoonal rainfall is likely to be 99 percent of the LPA with a margin error of 5 percent.

Director IMA, Amaravati, Stella S said normal to above-normal southwest monsoon rainfall is most likely to occur over Andhra Pradesh and Yanam.

Andhra Pradesh recorded a total of 613.3 mm of rainfall between June 1 and September 30 in 2021, which is around 19 percent more than the normal 514 mm. In 2020, Andhra Pradesh recorded a total of 738.2 mm of rainfall between June 1 and September 30, which is around 44 percent more than the normal 514 mm. It was categorized as excess rainfall by the IMD.

Seven districts -- Kadapa and Chittoor of Rayalaseema region and Guntur, Krishna, East Godavari, Visakhapatnam, and Vizianagaram districts of Coastal Andhra Pradesh had recorded excess rainfall in the Southwest monsoon in 2021. Six districts-- Anantapur, Kurnool, Nellore, Prakasam, West Godavari, and Srikakulam districts recorded normal rainfall in the monsoon season.

The Southwest Monsoon, which brings around 75 percent of the state's annual rainfall, over Kerala starts on June 1. The Southwest monsoon will likely enter Andhra Pradesh in the first week of June and is expected to cover the entire state by June second week, Stella added.