The monsoon continues to prosper on fundamentals reinforced by a spectacular onset and should reach Goa by June 7 or 8, says KJ Ramesh, Director-General, India Met Department (IMD).
Speaking exclusively to BusinessLine here, he said that the progress on the other side of the peninsula, that is the Bay of Bengal and North-East India, will be comparatively slower.
South Peninsula
When the monsoon reaches Goa, its northern limit should have covered most parts of Karnataka and South Andhra Pradesh until Ongole in the contiguous South Peninsula.
"But the core monsoon current set into motion by severe cyclone 'Mora' continues to maintain strength in the Bay and will trigger spells of rain in the North-East," Ramesh said.
The D-G was here to attend the Sixth All-India Departmental Hindi Seminar, a one-day event, hosted by the Met Centre in Thiruvananthapuram.
Delivering his address, he observed that the seminar affords an opportunity for Met officials to meet and exchange ideas in Hindi and also explore the latest in technology advancements.
According to him, the latest such technologies invariably come to be employed first in weather and climate services.
He proposed that the seminar be held ideally in non-Hindi speaking areas of the country. Two such events be held every year on June 1 and November 1 from next year.
The one-day event here yesterday saw officials from all parts of the country participate.
Faster over West
Others who spoke included MB Thampi, Deputy Director-General, Met Centre, Chennai, and Devenra Pradhan, Met Centre, Delhi.
The progress of the monsoon over the Arabian Sea, the South Peninsula, the Bay of Bengal and the North-East is diagonal in orientation, Ramesh said.
This means that the progress is faster on the Arabian Sea side and the West Coast. For further progress to occur, the 'monsoon shear zone' has to get further organised in the Bay.
The shear zone represents an area three km in height from surface where the monsoon system is most active, and gives rise to helpful low-pressure areas and depressions.
Meanwhile, a 'low' forming in the Arabian Sea soon will take the monsoon up to Mangaluru. So pre-monsoon showers should intensify over Mangaluru.
After the monsoon reaches Goa, pre-monsoon thundershowers would scale up over the Konkan Coast right up to Mumbai.
Meanwhile, a counterpart 'low' forming over the Bay of Bengal by June 7 or 8 should rev up monsoon over the Bay and also help drive it further along the West Coast, towards Mumbai.