‘REPORT ON THE ADMINISTRATION OF THE BOMBAY PRESIDENCY, FOR THE YEAR 1919-20’ [‎276r] (99/192)

BSE
1919-1920.] WEATHER AND CROPS. 75
a calm for a short period at three hours on the 6th. The second depression
which appeared over the Bay on the 7th moved northwards and had the effect of
carrying rainfall into the south Bombay Deccan and south Hyderabad.
Rainfall was of daily occurrence in south Hyderabad from the 7th to the
13th. Unsettled conditions appeared off the Konkan Coast on the 14th and
caused some rain in the Konkan and the Bombay Deccan for a day or two
and slowly moving northwards lay over Gujarat on the 18th and thence
advanced northe . stwards during the next four days. They were productive
of fairly widespread rain in Gujarat, Kathiawar, Central India West, Bajputana
and the west of the Central Provinces between the 19th and 22nd and a few
falls also occurred in the east Punjab and the United Provinces. During the
last week rainfall was confined to the south of the Peninsula except for a few
thunderstorms in the south of the Central Provinces. The total rainfall of
the month was above normal by 87 per cent, in the Konkan, 94 per cent, in the
Bombay Deccan, and 33 per cent, in Sind (due to a single fall of HO" at
Nagar Pakar), while Gujarat and Kathiawar had 4J times and 3^ times the
normal amount. During the month of December four disturbances of the cold
weather type advanced into northwest India. The first gave widespread rain
from the ilth to the 13th in the Punjab, east Rajputana and the adjacent districts
of Central India West and of the United Provinces. The second was feeble
and was productive of no rain in the plains. The third determined local
rainfall in Sind on the 21st and 22nd and widespread rain in the Punjab
between the . 2nd and 24th. The fourth disturbance entered northwest India
on the 27th but rainfall due to it was practically confined to the extreme north
of the Punjab. Unsettled conditions appeared in the north of the Peninsula and
caused local falls of rain in the south Konkan and the Bombay Deccan on the
12th and 13th and in the latter area on the 16th. Towards the close of
the month a depression formed over the southwest of the Bay and lay on the
morning of the 31st to the west of Ceylon. The total rainfall of the month
was 40 per cent, above normal in Sind and 7 per cent, in excess in the Konkan.
In the Bombay Deccan it was 74 per cent, in defect, while Gujarat and
Kathiawar were entirely rainless. The total rainfall of the period—October to
December—was normal in the Bombay Deccan and above normal over the rest
of the Presidency The name given to each of the three divisions of the territory of the East India Company, and later the British Raj, on the Indian subcontinent. ; by 47 per cent, in the Konkan, 100 per cent, in Gujarat,
88 per cent, m Kathiawar and 16 per cent, in Sind. The depression that lay
to the west of Colombo at the end of December caused widespread rain in the
southern half of the Peninsula during the first three days of January and
advancing northwards towards Kathiawar it determined nearly general and in
places heavy rain in the south of Gujarat and Kathiawar, Central India West,
the C ntral Provinces, the north Konkan, the north Bombay Deccan and the
adjacent districts of Hyderabad between the 4th and the 6th. Five cold
weather disturbances advanced into northern India during the month, but only
one of these which entered Baluchistan on the 10th produced widespread
rainfall in the Punjab, northeast Rajputana and the west of the United Provinces
during the 11th. I he rainfall due to - the rest was either inappreciable or
confined to the extreme north of Baluchistan and the Punjab. Unsettled
conditions also appeared over the Central Provinces on the 18th and caused
nearly general rain in Berar and local rain in Hyderabad and the Bombay
Deccan during the next two days. The total rainfall of the month was in defect
oy 72 per cent, in Sind ; but over the rest of the area it was in large excess.
Ihe Konkan and Kathiawar had 0*59" each, being 6*6 times and 13*7 times
fneir usual fall; while the Bombay Deccan and Gujarat had 1*24" and 1*77" as com
pared with the normals of 0*11" and 0*05". Four winter disturbances affected the
weather in northern India during the month of February. The first of these,
which passed into northwest India on the 2nd, caused widespread rain on the
*-d in the Punjab, the United Provinces and north Rajputana and local
s owers over the same area during the next two days. The second disturbance
on the 6th over the Persian Gulf The historical term used to describe the body of water between the Arabian Peninsula and Iran. and travelling eastwards caused
011 .yhe 8th nearly general rain in south Rajputana and the south of Gujarat
Kathiawar and local rain in the Punjab and the north Konkan. A cold
av e associated with the first disturbance appeared over the northwest
r ontier on the 4th and advancing eastwards caused very low temperatures
U nor thtru India till the 13th; the minimum during this period fell to or
Chapter IV.
PRODUCTION
AND
DISTRIBUTION.