Monsoon misses onset date in Kerala, IMD says conditions improving
2 min read 04 Jun 2023, 09:20 PM ISTThe southwest monsoon, which normally sets in over Kerala on June 1, missed its onset date in the state on Sunday with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) anticipating a further delay of three to four days.
PremiumThe southwest monsoon, which normally sets in over Kerala on June 1, missed its onset date in the State on Sunday with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) anticipating a further delay of three to four days.
"Conditions (are) becoming favourable with the increase in westerly winds over the south Arabian Sea. Also, the depth of westerly winds is gradually increasing and today, June 4, the depth of westerlies has reached up to 2.1 kilometres above the mean sea level," the IMD said a statement.
"The cloud mass over the southeast Arabian sea is also increasing. We expect that these favourable conditions for monsoon onset over Kerala will further improve during the next three-four days. It is being monitored continuously and further updates will be provided tomorrow (Monday)," the IMD added.
Earlier in May, the weather department had forecasted that the monsoon rains may arrive in the state by June 4. It should be noted that the southwest monsoon had reached the westside of Lakshadweep on June 3. However, it did not have favorable conditions to move further from there.
The weather department has forecasted a normal rainfall during this season despite the evolving El Nino conditions. Northwest India is expected to see normal to below normal rainfall. East and northeast, central, and south peninsula are expected to receive normal rainfall at 94-106% of the long-period average of 87 centimetres
Rainfall between 96 and 104% of a 50-year average of 87 cm is considered 'normal'.
Normal rainfall is critical for India's agricultural landscape, with 52% of the net cultivated area relying on it. It is also crucial for the replenishing of reservoirs critical for drinking water apart from power generation across the country.
Separately, The IMD said heatwave conditions are likely to prevail in Bihar and West Bengal for the next three to four days. The weather department has issued an oral alert for the region.
The weather office said that Sikkim is also likely to experience heatwave conditions, which is a departure of at least five degrees Celsius on the higher side from normal. Heat wave conditions very likely to continue in isolated pockets over West Bengal and Sikkim and Northeast Jharkhand during 04th-08th June; over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam on 04th and 05th June; over Telangana during 04th to 6th June; over Vidarbha during 06th to 08th June and over East Uttar Pradesh 07th and 08th June.