Six Western Disturbances made May wettest by 84 percent in Himachal: IMD

This month ending today is the wettest ever as six back-to-back active western disturbances affected the State of HP  resulting in scattered to fairly widespread rain or snowfall in the state during the month causing widespread destruction to agricultural crops.

Indian Meteorological Department said in a press release issued here that May 2023 had cumulative 116.8 mm rainfall compared to 63.3 mm normal thus it was 84 percent excess. Last April had 103 mm rain compared to 64 mm normal and thus excess by 62 pc. In the Month of March this year, 66.8 cumulative rainfall was recorded compared to 113.4 mm normal and March was deficient by 41 per cent. In the last three months of spring and summer seasons stated recorded 286.9 mm of rain compared to normal 240.7 mm normal. In the season it was 19 percent excess.

Out of twelve districts, ten had large excess rainfall in the month of May. Sirmaur had 168 mm and 295 p c large excess followed by Solan district had 175.5 mm rain and 256 pc large excess, Kangra 133  mm and 141 pc large excess, Shimla 139 mm and 95 pc excess, Kullu 158.5 mm and 128 p  c excess, Una 74.3 mm and 129 pc excess, Bilaspur 93.7 mm and 139 pc excess, Chamba 166 mm, and 69 pc excess mm, However, Tribal Kinnaur district had  55.9  mm and three pc normal and Only Lahaul Spiti district had 76 mm and  28 pc deficient rainfall. 

Out of twelve districts, eight had large excess and excess seasonal rainfall from Mary 1 to May 31) in the state. During the previous three-month Sirmaur district had cumulative 342.4 mm and 172 pc large excess rain, Bilaspur 258.5 mm and 119 pc large excess,  Solan 253 .1 mm and 145 pc large excess, Shimla 372 .3 mm and 81 pc large excess, Kullu 158.5 pc large excess and 128 mm, Kangra 314 mm and 66 pc large excess, Mandi 343.3 mm and 79 pc large excess,  Una 154.5 mm and 50  pc excess, Hamirpur  201 mm and 55 excess, Kinnaur district had  188.9 mm and 24 deficient, 173 .4 mm and 39 pc deficient during the season Chamba had 411 mm and 11 p c normal rainfall. According to Met Office seasonal rainfall in the premonsoon was highest at 318  mm and 30 pc excess in 2015 compared to 289 mm in 2023 mm  

In the Month of May, 2023 from 2004 onward state recorded the highest cumulative 116.8 mm( 84 pc excess )  in the state . Previous to this May state had 28 pc or 78.9 mm excess rain in May 20110 and five pc excess and 70.2 mm in May 2016. In the Rest of rest of the year in the last nine years, the state recorded deficient rainfall. In the month of May, 2004 state recorded 63 pc deficient rainfall.

The state recorded the highest  20 cm snowfall at Hansa (Lahaul Spiti)  on May 9, 2023, and the highest rainfall 80 mm at Dalhousie (Chamba) on May 3, 2023.

The state also had the chief amount of rainfall on May 1, at Kangra  58.3 mm, Shimla:53 mm, Bhoranj(Hamirpur) 28 mm, on  May 2, Jogindarnagar(Mandi):47 mm, Kothi:26 mm and Manali 24 mmm, On May 3, Dalhousie (Chamba) 80 mm, Kothi 61 mm, Nalagarh 60(Solan) mm, On May 4, 2023, Mashobra 51 mm  Kasauli 34 mm, Baldwara 32 mm, May 7. Bharmaur 30 mm, Tissa 20 mm, May 9. 2023 Bharmaur 23 mm ,  Kothi:19.8 mm, Jubbal19.6 mm, May 18, Pachhad 27.3 mm, May 24,  Renuka / Dadhau:48 mm, Sangrahan:35 mm.  Pachhad 34 mm, May 25, Dharampur 67.4 mm, Bijahi 60 mm, Kangra 55.4 mm, May 26,  Arki:48 mm  Jhandutta(Bilaspur) 30.3 mm and Aghar 26.8 mm, May 27,  Rajgarh 18 mm, Hamirpur 15 mm, May 28, Pandoh 24 mm, Mandi 19.8 mm, May 29 Tinder(Chamba) 22.8 mm, May 30, Pachhad 61.2 mm  and Shimla 42.4 mm, May 31, Sangraha 60 mm and  Renuka 55.4 mm .

The state also recorded snowfall on May 03.05.2023 Gondla:2.3 cm, on May 7,  Kkoksar:12.9 cm, Gondola: 5.5 cm on May 08.Gondla: 9.2 cm, koksar:2.1 cm0

May 9  Hansa:20 cm, koksar:16 cm, Keylong 12.2 cm and Gondla: 11.5 cm, oN mAY 27  Hansa:1 cm .

Hailstorm allso  witnessed 7-8 at Shimla(Kufri, Jubbarhatti, Kotkhaie, Theog, Jubbal, Khadrala, Kumarsain, Narkanda), Kangra

(Palampur, Baijnath), Mandi(Jhanjehli), Bilaspur, Kullu(Kothi), Sirmaur, and Solan caused major losses to the wheat and other Rabi season crops.

UNI ML