It might come as good news for many, especially to the farmers in the country. After what most people might feel like a dry monsoon this year, the National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology expects the country to receive a good amount of rainfall in the coming weeks.
While in May, the National Centre for Hydrology and Meteorology announced slightly less rainfall this monsoon season, their rainfall outlook has now changed.
“I think in the coming month, and specifically short range, we can say with greater confidence, in the next week or so, there will be a good amount of rainfall. Of course, in the northern region, it is light rainfall but we believe that it will be continuous and a good amount,” said Dechen Lhamo Gyeltshen, meteorology officer of NCHM.
The change is continuously monitored by the centre and an official statement will be released when it is confirmed. The centre said monsoon rainfall depends on various factors.
“When we are analysing it again, we are seeing that the atmosphere state has changed compared to that time and this is common in weather and climate where it is not entirely predictable and it changes quite differently to what we expect. So, right now, we are seeing not only El Nino but there are other factors like the Indian Ocean dipole and this has an opposite effect on El Ninos. So, it increases rainfall. And these two factors are offsetting each other and because of that, we are now predicting normal rainfall,” added the meteorology officer.
Recently, districts like Punakha faced delays in paddy transplantation due to less rainfall. Monsoon in Bhutan starts in June and lasts till September.
Samten Dolkar
Edited by Sherub Dorji
