New Delhi: After heavy rainfall along the west coast, the southwest monsoon is showing signs of weakening, said the India Meteorological Department (IMD), highlighting that it is not likely to advance during the next week.
The monsoon will advance over parts of Odisha, some parts of West Bengal and cover the northeastern states during the next 48 hours, said the government’s weather department. “Thereafter, no further advance is likely during the next week due to probable weakening of the monsoon flow,” stated the IMD.
M. Mohapatra, head of services at IMD, said that the monsoon is not always active. “The monsoon does not progress continuously, but in phases. It was very active for the first two weeks and covered one third of the country. Now the monsoon flow is weaker, so it’s not likely to progress for a week,” he said.
The monsoon is characterised by a strong phase and a subdued phase. “When the first pulse dies down, another arrives. It is normal,” elaborates Dr A.K. Srivastav, a scientist at IMD Pune. “To advance, the monsoon requires wind, monsoon current at a considerable height and spatial continuity...when the monsoon is subdued, there could be moderate rainfall, but no spatial continuity for it to advance.”