A statistical study of pre-monsoon weather over south Bengal using descriptive and inferential techniques

Abstract

Statistical data summarization techniques, curve fitting methods and statistical tests, both parametric and non-parametric, have been applied to form a comprehensive idea about pre-monsoon weather over South Bengal situated in the northeastern part of the Indian sub-continent. The work is based on surface data recorded at 15 major observatories during the period 1969-2000, spread across the western plateau and highlands, Rarh and Gangetic region of South Bengal. The homogeneity of pre-monsoon rainfall and its variability over different stations has been studied using Bartlett's and Kruskal Wallis tests. For stations with complete weather information for at least 30 consecutive years, time series analysis has been carried out on rainfall data for a climatological overview of long-term behaviour, seasonal and cyclical fluctuations of pre-monsoon rainfall in those areas. This paper, apart from being a regional study, highlights the use of certain parametric and non-parametric tests, not so widely used in the context of climatology.