Northeast Monsoon Impact in India

• India’s southwest monsoon ended with 8% more rain than expected, indicating a shift in focus to the northeast monsoon due to its significant impact on the Indian economy.
• The northeast monsoon, characterized by a reversal of winds, brings rain to parts of coastal Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and parts of southern Karnataka.
• The IMD predicts this year’s post-monsoon rainfall will be ‘above normal’ or about 12% over the historical average.
• The northeast monsoon significantly affects the productivity of rice and maize in Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh, leading to significant decrease in agricultural production.
• The northeast monsoon rainfall has a variation of almost 25%, exceeding that of the southwest monsoon rainfall (10%).
• If this year’s forecast holds, it will be the second consecutive year of a normal northeast monsoon.
• More focus is needed on modeling its impact on urban flooding due to climate change uncertainty.