A jhum field affected by deficient rainfall. On June 16, 2021, the Nagaland Department of Agriculture informed of a “drought-like situation” due to delayed and erratic rains has affected 68,662 hectare of jhum fields in 915 villages across the state. Deficient rains has further affected Terraced Rice (upland) & Wet Terraced Rice Cultivation rains in all the districts causing delay in land preparation and sowing, the department officials then maintained. (Morung File Photo)
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Morung Express News
Dimapur | January 16
Nagaland was among those states where ‘extremely dry-severely dry conditions’ were observed over some parts, informed the ‘Statement on Climate of India during 2021’ released by the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the national weather forecaster on January 14.
The IMD’s observation is based on the Standardized Precipitation Index (SPI); an index used for monitoring drought conditions and is based on precipitation.
According to the national weather forecaster, the SPI is ‘negative for dry, and positive for wet conditions’ and as the dry or wet conditions become more severe, the index “becomes more negative or positive.”
In June 2021, the State Department of Agriculture (DoA) informed that the state was witnessing a “drought-like situation” due to delayed and erratic rains from December 2020 to April 2021.
Later, a written reply by the Minister of State (Independent charge) in the Ministry of Science and Technology and Earth Sciences Dr Jitendra Singh in the Lok Sabha on December 1 stated that eight States/Union Territories in India including Nagaland had ‘Deficient’ rainfall during the Southwest Monsoon (SWM) season in 2021.
As per the data provided in the reply, the actual rainfall in Nagaland during the monsoon season was 919.9 millimetres (mm) as against the normal rainfall (long-period average, LPA) of 1261.8 mm or -27% departure from the LPA.
However, the weather conditions seem to be improving a little bit in this year. As per the rainfall data available on IMD’s website, Nagaland has received 10.4 millimetre (MM) of rain, against the normal LPA of 6.8 MM from January 1-16.
Meanwhile, the IMD’s statement on January 14 noted that ‘extremely dry-severely dry conditions’ were also observed over parts of Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Sub Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim, East Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Jammu & Kashmir.
However, the SPI values in the past twelve months indicated “extremely wet-severely wet conditions over parts of A & N Islands, Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, East Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, Punjab, East Rajasthan, West Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat Region, Konkan & Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, Andhra Pradesh state, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, North Interior Karnataka, South Interior Karnataka and Kerala.”
The IMD further informed that annual rainfall averaged over the country was 105 % of its LPA.
During the southwest monsoon season (June-September), which is the principal rainy season of the country, the rainfall was normal at 99 % of LPA. However, while the East & North-East India received seasonal rainfall of just 88% of its LPA.
The rest of the board geographical regions of the country received normal rainfall including South Peninsular India (111% of its LPA) Central India (104%) & Northwest India (96%) received. The 2021 Northeast/post monsoon season (October-December) rainfall over the country as a whole was above normal (144% of LPA), the statement informed.
Meanwhile, the IMD observed that the year 2021 was the fifth warmest year since nationwide records commenced in the year 1901. The annual mean land surface air temperature averaged over India during 2021 was 0.44°C above LPA based on 1981-2010 period, it said.
During 2021, five tropical cyclones formed over the north Indian Ocean with three forming over the Bay of Bengal and 2 forming over the Arabian Sea. In addition to these, extreme weather events like extremely heavy rainfall leading to floods, landslide, lightning, thunderstorm, droughts etc were also experienced in various parts of the country.
Consequently, a total of 1,750 lives were lost due to Extreme Weather Events with lightning and thunderstorms claiming the highest at 787; followed by 759 due to floods, heavy rains and landslides and 172 by cyclones. Other extreme events, including cold wave, dust storm, gale, hailstorm and snowfall, took 32 lives.
No loss of lives due to ‘Extreme Weather Events’ was reported from Nagaland in 2021 as per the IMD’s statement.
IMD forecast dense fog, rainfall in Nagaland
Morung Express News
Dimapur | January 16
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday predicted likelihood of “Dense to Very Dense Fog” in isolated pockets in several states including Nagaland on January 17 as well as “isolated to scattered light/moderate rainfall” on January 19 and 20.
The All India Weather Forecast Bulletin issued by the IMD at 8:00 pm on January 16 informed that “Dense to Very Dense Fog in isolated pockets very likely over East Uttar Pradesh and dense fog in isolated pockets over West Uttar Pradesh, Rajasthan, north Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Assam & Meghalaya and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura.”
Isolated to scattered light/moderate rainfall over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam & Meghalaya and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram & Tripura during on January 19 and 20, it added.
On the Weather Outlook for the subsequent 2 days during January 21-23, the IMD also predicted likelihood of “Isolated rainfall/thundershowers” over parts of East, North-East India and bay Islands.
According to IMD, the current weather condition in India is due to a trough in westerlies in middle tropospheric levels runs along Longitude 90°E to the north of Latitude 22°N while a cyclonic circulation now lies over Eastcentral Arabian Sea and adjoining Konkan Coast in lower tropospheric levels.
A fresh Western Disturbance likely to affect Western Himalayan Region from January 18 and another Western Disturbance is likely to affect northwest India from January 21, it observed.
It further predicted fall in minimum temperatures by 2-3°C over East India during next 24 hours and no significant change thereafter.
“Cold Day to Severe Cold Day Conditions in some/isolated pockets very likely over Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh & Delhi, West Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan during next 24 hours and over East Uttar Pradesh during next 2 days,” it added.
