Guj: Monsoon withdraws, season's rainfall at 142 pc of LPA

The southwest monsoon withdrew from Gujarat on Monday, with the state getting 142 per cent of long period average (LPA) rainfall, an India Meteorological Department official said.

It has withdrawn from entire Gujarat as well as north Arabian Sea on October 14, the IMD's weather forecast bulletin informed.

LPA is the average rainfall received over a 50-year period and acts as a benchmark against which the rainfall in any monsoon season is measured.

The State Emergency Operation Centre informed that monsoon started in late June and the state received 1158.59 millimetres of rain, or 141.98 per cent of the annual average, the maximum of 446.05 mm rainfall being recorded in August.

Kutch received the highest amount of rains in the state at 177.79 per cent of the LPA, followed by Saurashtra at 150.06 per cent and south Gujarat at 144.56 per cent, the SEOC said.

Among districts, Jamnagar received the highest amount of rainfall of the season at 182.06 per cent of LPA, followed by Morbi at 181.24 and Bharuch at (177.92 per cent, it added.

Making up the rear of the rainfall chart were Ahmedabad (108.27 pc), Banaskantha (109.30), Gandhinagar (110. 46) and Mahisagar (111.07), the SEOC data showed.

Of the state's 205 water storage schemes, 119 were completely filled, with water storage at 25,224.16 million cubic metre, or 96.64 per cent of total capacity, it said.

The Sardar Sarovar Dam had 25,224 million cubic metre of water, which is 96.64 per cent of its full capacity.