The Hindu Business Line : Bay `low' beats forecast

THE cyclonic circulation over North Bay of Bengal churned several scales overnight to settle down as a well marked `low', pre-empting the most generous forecast that gave more than 48 hours for it to go through with the motion.

Originally tipped to take shape by Saturday, the rapid evolvement of the system prompted the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting (NCMRWF) to advance the timeframe for consummation at least twice in previous bulletins.

In the end, it descended down to suitable heights to first become a `low' and then intensify into a `well-marked low' by Wednesday itself, beating predictions by more than 36 hours.

Widespread rain: Speaking to Business Line, Dr Akhilesh Gupta, Director, NCMRWF, said the system is likely to intensify further and move initially in a west-northwesterly direction.

Widespread rainfall with isolated heavy fall is expected over Orissa, north coastal Andhra Pradesh, east Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh during the next three days.

Going forward, there is a distant possibility that the system could head a little to the north to set up a rendezvous with an approaching western disturbance crossing into northwest India by Saturday (August 6). This could bring some badly needed rain to many parts of north and northwest India, viz. Uttar Pradesh, Uttaranchal, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, western parts of Bihar, north Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand.

These areas have had no rains during the past week or so. It may be recalled that it was the interaction between a western disturbance and the prevailing monsoon depression that had brought the first spell of heavy rain in the north and the northwest in June, ultimately triggering the Gujarat floods.

`Low' weakening: In its weather update and forecast for the next five days, the NCMRWF said the monsoon system over the mainland in the form of a weakening `low' over northwest Madhya Pradesh and adjoining east Rajasthan had moved to east Rajasthan and the neighbourhood on Wednesday.

The system is likely to peter out completely in the next 24 hours.

Gujarat, southeast Rajasthan, northern parts of Maharashtra and west Madhya Pradesh are likely to receive scattered to fairly widespread rains during the period. The rainfall activity may reduce subsequently.

The offshore trough extends from Goa to Karnataka, what with the strong monsoon flow across peninsular India continuing to hold. The trough is likely to persist for the next four to five days since no let-up is seen in the flows any time soon. This will translate into fairly widespread to widespread rains with isolated heavy to very heavy falls along the Konkan, Goa and Karnataka coast.

Rain for the east: In the east, Orissa and West Bengal are likely to receive fairly widespread to widespread rains with isolated heavy falls during the next three days. Isolated to scattered rainfall is likely over east Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand and Bihar and scattered to fairly widespread over the northeastern States during the next two days. The rainfall activity over east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand is likely to enhance subsequently.

Towards the south, coastal Karnataka, Kerala and Andaman and Nicobar are likely to receive fairly widespread rainfall activity during the next two to three days. The rest of the region is likely to receive isolated to scattered rains during this period.

In the west, Konkan and Goa, Gujarat and East Rajasthan are likely to receive fairly widespread to widespread rainfall during the next 24 hours and reduce thereafter under the influence of the weakening `low' over east Rajasthan. Scattered rainfall is expected over the rest of the region during the next two to three days.

Article E-Mail :: Comment :: Syndication :: Printer Friendly Page

Stories in this Section
Life Sciences is RIL's next big idea

Bay `low' beats forecast

Insurers apprehend bigger dent from Mumbai claims — Defaults in Fac Re arrangements seen

Mumbai sees corporates' human face

Sensex ends flat after topping 7,800

RIL to demerge power, finance, telecom — Investors to get shares of separated units

The equity structure — post-demerger

Broadband set to take the gigabit leap with new tech

Drug cos face daunting task of destroying damaged stocks