Jamshedpur, July 2: It’s better that monsoon has hit Jharkhand late, than never, but several areas across the state are still waiting for a downpour.

The state has recorded a deficit of about 54 per cent in monsoon showers as compared to last year.

Officials of the Meteorological department attributed the weakening of the Bay of Bengal component for the uneven distribution of rainfall across the state.

“We find some abnormalities this year. Monsoon has come to Jharkhand via a different route due to the active Arabian Sea component. Unless the Bay of Bengal component becomes strong, the monsoon trough would continue to weaken over Jharkhand,” explained a senior weather analyst at the Patna Meteorological Office.

So far, the state has received 97.2mm of rainfall against an average rainfall of 212.4mm. “Unless there are heavy rains, it will be difficult to make up the deficit,” the weather analyst pointed out.

The Met office had announced the arrival of monsoon in Jharkhand on June 29.

Going by weather office records, heavy rains are generally are expected in the state around mid-June. But this year, rains were delayed to the end of June. Records further revealed that Jamshedpur, which received over 300mm of rain in June last year, had to be satisfied with a meagre 63.5mm (normal rainfall here being 180mm) in June. And in July it received about 5mm of rainfall.

The northeastern and central parts of Jharkhand, covering districts like Dumka, Pakur, Daltonganj and Ranchi, received more rainfall this year. The local meteorological office at Ranchi recorded 135.5mm of rainfall in June and about 55mm in July.

Weather experts are, however, optimistic about the weather conditions in the next few days. “It’s true that there hasn’t been a good amount of rainfall in Jharkhand, especially in the southern and western part after the onset of monsoon. But things should change over the next few days.

Satellite pictures indicate favourable activity over the northwestern part of Bay of Bengal, which will help bring rainfall in Singhhbhum and Kolhan regions,” said A. Wadood, weather scientist at Birsa Agriculture University (BAU), Ranchi.

The Patna Meteorological office has made a forecast of rain and thundershower across the Jharkhand in the next 24-hours with temperatures likely to range between 34° and 25° Celsius.