Southwest monsoon advances into South Andaman Sea: IMD

The Southwest monsoon advanced into the south Andaman Sea on Friday morning, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

With this, the Southwest monsoon has made an on-time onset over the Andaman Sea.

“In association with the strengthening and deepening of the southwesterly winds, Southwest monsoon has advanced over southwest and southeast Bay of Bengal, south Andaman Sea and Nicobar islands,” the IMD said in its special weather update issued on Friday afternoon.

With the arrival of the monsoon, light to moderate rain is forecast till Sunday over Andaman and Nicobar islands. Squally winds with speeds 40 to 50 km/hr gusting to 60km/hr could blow along the southeast Bay of Bengal and south Andaman Sea from Friday onwards, the Met officials said.

Meanwhile, a low pressure area is expected to develop over the central and adjoining southeast Bay of Bengal and this system is most likely to intensify into a cyclonic storm by May 26.

“The low pressure system will help the Southwest monsoon as it will strengthen the cross-equatorial flow. This will help the monsoon which is in its advancing phase,” said Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general, IMD.

The cyclone, once formed, is expected to travel towards either coasts of Odisha or West Bengal, where the Met department was warned of heavy rainfall to commence from May 25.