The Hindu Business Line : Clouding over Bay under close watch

PERSISTING heavy cloud formation over the Bay of Bengal on Thursday seems to have revived the hopes of meteorologists tracking the progress of southwest monsoon.

"Today, things have looked very bright. Intense clouding being observed over the Bay may ultimately help in the formation of a low-pressure or depression," said Dr M. Rajeevan, Director - Forecasting, India Meteorological Department (IMD), Pune.

The department is maintaining a close watch on the situation. A low-pressure area or depression, the first of the season, will be enough to breathe life into the system and trigger the next monsoon pulse. "Once the low gets activated, the monsoon will get strengthened over the West Coast," Dr Rajeevan said.

The inaugural pulse associated with the onset phase was, as already reported, listless and had died out by the end of the fifth day on Thursday. "Yes, this year's monsoon has been diagnosed as a weak current. The inaugural spell was not just short, but weak too," Dr Rajeevan added.

According to him, not much needs to be read into the manner in which the seasonal weather system is playing out for the moment. It is here for the long haul, and these are but initial days only. "It would be ideal if we watched its progress with patience."

According to Mr Bhaskaran Nair, Director-in-Charge, Met Office, Thiruvananthapuram, wind speeds had not improved much on Thursday.

A low pressure or a tropical depression should set the system going again. On Thursday, a cyclonic circulation over Jharkhand had moved northeastwards and positioned itself over Bangladesh and the adjoining Northeastern States.

Rainfall was weak over Kerala on Thursday. Chief amounts of rainfall in cm are: Kochi - 5; Alappuzha and Karipur Airport - 4 each; and Kozhikode - 3. Rainfall was also recorded at some places in Tamil Nadu, Telengana, Rayalaseema and North Interior Karnataka.

The Met Department has forecast heavy rainfall over Lakshadweep, Kerala, Coastal Karnataka and the Andamans on Friday. The ongoing rain activity in the peninsula was likely to continue over the next two days.

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