Rainfall data Aug2014

IMetD clamped a 'heavy rainfall warning' in the Sub-Himalayan West Bengal (SHWB) and Sikkim region for much of Aug2014 even though there was no major activity in the Bay of Bengal (we plotted two low pressure areas 1 and 2, during the month).
In Kalimpong, we experienced some of the soggiest and damp days thus far in 2014 even as the periods of heavy rainfall was limited to just 3 days.
The heaviest rainfall during Aug2014 was along the plains of Dooars and even Siliguri with the mountainous region receiving considerably less rain.
There were no reports of major landslides in this region.

Praful Rao,
Kalimpong,
Dist Darjeeling

STH activities (02Aug2014) : Mapping rainfall in the mountains - a STH/KKKS initiative

Recording rainfall statistics for use by researchers, the farming community and by those who work in hydrological disasters has long been one of the aims of STH and towards this end we procured and positioned automatic rainfall gauges in several places in Darjeeling district and Sikkim. Data from these instruments is regularly posted on our blog all through the monsoon months since 2011.
Unfortunately, some of these instruments have become defective and we decided to replace these with the sturdy Symon's type manual rainfall gauges which are a lot cheaper too. I put up the proposal to procure these instruments for use by the farming community to Mr Bishnu Chhetri, General Secretary of Kalimpong Krishak Kalyan Sangathan who readily agreed to the proposal.
On 02Aug2014, after a talk in the KKKS hall, Kalimpong, aimed at standardizing use and recording of rainfall at all stations, 10 manual rainfall gauges were handed over to members of Krishak Kalyan Sangathan at the following villages of Darjeeling district :-
1. Towday 2.Gitdabling 3. Pabringtar 4. Payung 5. Echay 6. Lama Hatta 7. Kolbung
8. Mangwa 9. Singail (Kurseong) 10. Pokhriabung
We hope to include data from these stations in our blog from Sep2014.
Further, many NGOs from this region have requested that we procure these gauges for them also and so in time to come we may have a comprehensive network of instruments to map the rainfall of this region.

Praful Rao,
Kalimpong,
Dist Darjeeling.

Rainfall data May2013 and a brief analysis.

Compared to a parched May2012 where almost the entire Darjeeling district ran deficient in rainfall, May2013 was a month where nearly all of Sikkim and Darjeeling district had more than our share of precipitation.
This was perhaps due to two major weather systems which formed in the Bay of Bengal and moved of inland; Cyclone Mahasen brushed past Kolkata on15May2013 and made landfall in Bangladesh while a depression crossed the coast, south east of Kolkata and headed northwest before dying out in the last week of May2013.  
In contrast, all was quiet in the Bay of Bengal in May2012.
Also on 30May2013 following incessant, heavy rain we had our first landslide fatality this year, (in Darjeeling town) along with a number of landslides all over Darjeeling  district.

Praful Rao,
Kalimpong