Facts for Prelims (FFP)
Source: DTE
Context: This year marked the third-longest monsoon break of the 21st century, following breaks in 2002 and 2009.
- The recent break had a significant impact, causing the all-India cumulative monsoon rainfall anomaly to drop from seven per cent above normal to six per cent below normal within a short period.
About Monsoonal Break:
- A monsoonal break occurs when the monsoon trough shifts northward, leading to increased rainfall along the Himalayan foothills and parts of eastern India while suppressing rainfall in other regions.
- While meteorologically defined, climatologically, a monsoonal break is declared when the normalized rainfall anomaly index drops below -1 and persists for at least three consecutive days.
The current monsoon break was influenced by the developing El Niño and the absence of sub-seasonal weather patterns that support rainfall.
This prolonged monsoon break is concerning, especially as it coincides with a ban on rice exports, a crucial Kharif crop.
