2.4.15

India's wettest March in 48 years

A series of rain spells, starting with an unusually strong storm that brought heavy showers across the country , made last month India's wettest March in 48 years, Met officials said.
The average weighted rainfall across India last month was recorded at 61.1 mm, nearly double the normal of 30.9 mm, India Meteorological Department director B P Yadav said.
Only once since 1901, when systematic weather records began to be maintained, has the country received more rain in March.In 1967, India's March rainfall was recorded at 63.3 mm.
During this time of the year, all rain in north India takes place through western disturbances (WDs), which are storms coming in from the Mediterranean region.On an average, five WDs hit India this March. “More importantly , many of the WDs extended further south than usual, bringing rains to central and peninsular India as well,“ Yadav said.
D Sivananda Pai, head of IMD Pune's long range forecasting division, said the past month also saw good `easterly activity' -moist winds from the Bay of Bengal -which brought rain to southern states and areas around the eastern coast.
The latest round of rains, this time largely concentrated in north India, would last till the end of this week, IMD officials said.

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