The WWI meeting gains all the more significance in view of the fact that odd-weather conditions have been causing concern in various parts of the country for quite some time now. Last year, it may be noted, unseasonal rains had not only damaged standing crops in different parts of the country but also had delayed sowing in many cases. In worse cases, sowing had to be done a second time following damage to the sowing already done.

This year's crop loss position as well as impact of unseasonal rains on sowing in various parts of the country, however, are yet to be assessed by the concerned departments at both Central and state levels.

Coming to the present weather conditions, for instance, about a fortnight back it was the unseasonal heavy rains and landslides in thenorth that caused concern particularly for the northern region since it was the harvest season in many parts of the north. Afterwards, last week, for quite a few days -- first week of November --smoggy weather and drizzle/rain-like conditions in Delhi and other surrounding areas provided further cause for concern from not only agricultural point of view but also general health point of view.

Forecast for November second week: India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its weather prospects report for week-ending November 11, has forecast that ``widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls are likely in coastal Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu''. Fairly widespread rainfall in Rayalaseema, south interior Karnataka, and Kerala, and scattered/isolated rainfall in north-west India is also likely, the IMD report for the coming week has forecast.

As for the southern region, by and large, this being the north-east monsoon season, the IMD forecast may not have come as any big shock from the farmer's point of view,one may aver based on the opinion expressed last week by Deputy Director-General (Meteorology) S R Kalsi. Kalsi, it may be recalled, had averred that for the south, rainfall around this time of the year ``may not be bad''.

Main features of last week: As for last week's -- October 29-November 4 -- main features on the weather front, the IMD report says that the north-east monsoon was vigorous over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, and Tamil Nadu on some days of the week. Rainfall also occurred at most places in Kerala, Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar islands; at many places in south interior Karnataka, Orissa and Gangetic West Bengal and at a few places in Konkan and Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Vidarbha, Telangana, coastal Karnataka, East Madhya Pradesh, and Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.

Isolated rain occurred in East Rajasthan, Gujarat region, West Madhya Pradesh, Marathawada, north interior Karnataka, Bihar plateau, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, and Sikkim and Assam and Meghalaya.

Inthe rest of the regions in the country, the weather remained mainly dry.During the period October 1 to November 4, the cumulative rainfall was normal to excess in as many as 33 out of 35 meteorological sub-divisions of the country.

In the seasonal rainfall distribution during the week from October 29-November 4, there was excess of rainfall -- plus 20 per cent or more -- in Andaman and Nicobar islands, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura, Gangetic West Bengal, Orissa, West Madhya Pradesh, East Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat region, Daman, Dadra and Nagar Haveli, Madhya Maharashtra, and Vidarbha, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu and Pondicherry and Lakshadweep.

The highest departure from normal rainfall occurred during the week under review in East Madhya Pradesh where the departure registered was plus 338 per cent, followed by Vidarbha with plus 274 per cent. Other regions with high percentage departures from normal rainfall included Gangetic West Bengal and coastal Andhra Pradesh.The lowest departure from normal rainfall was registered by Marathawada region with minus two per cent departure and Konkan and Goa with minus 23 per cent departure from normal rainfall.