The Hindu Business Line : Monsoon hits Nagpur even as systems weaken

Thiruvananthapuram, June 11 The southwest monsoon cantered into Nashik and Nagpur on Wednesday signalling its entry into central India on a day that saw spearhead weather systems to the west and the east let off some steam.

The northern limit of monsoon passed through Okha, Rajkot, Surat, Nasik, Parbhani, Nagpur, Pendra, Chapra and Raxaul, an India Meteorological Department (IMD) update said. It has advanced into more parts of Vidarbha and most of Chhattisgarh and Bihar.

Models predictions suggest that conditions are favourable for further advancement into remaining parts of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Bihar and some parts of east Madhya Pradesh and east Uttar Pradesh during the next three days.

The Global Forecast System (GFS) of the US National Oceanographic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) says that the west coast and most parts of east and northwest India would receive moderate to heavy rains during the next 10-day-period. Interior Maharashtra, Telengana and parts of north Tamil Nadu could be exceptions.

MAY STRENGTHEN

An IMD outlook for the next three days indicated strengthening of the southwesterlies over the peninsula. Helpful upper air cyclonic circulations might throw themselves up over Gujarat, north Madhya Pradesh and the Head Bay of Bengal.

Over the next three-day period, rain or thundershowers have been forecast at many places over Kerala, coastal Andhra Pradesh and coastal Karnataka and at a few places over Telengana, Lakshadweep and interior Karnataka. Isolated rain or thundershowers are likely over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Rayalaseema.

Isolated heavy rainfall has been forecast for the North-East, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Konkan, Goa and coastal Karnataka during the next two days. The IMD maintained its outlook for fairly widespread rainfall being set off in east and northwest India from the weekend.

Tuesday’s land-based ‘low’ over Orissa weakened overnight into an upper air cyclonic circulation hanging over north Chhattisgarh and adjoining east Madhya Pradesh. Fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls is expected over Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh during the next two days.

DIVERTS FLOWS

The other well-marked ‘low’ over northeast Arabian Sea has drifted towards Oman and, as in the case of immediate predecessors earlier during the season, spirited away a bulk of the southwesterly flows away from India’s west coast. This resulted in a temporary weakening of the flows over the Arabian Sea and the southern peninsula.

On Wednesday, wind speeds ranged from 20-25 knots over central Kerala and upwards along the west coast and in the adjoining southeast Arabian Sea. To the south of this, the speeds ranged from 30-35 knots but southwesterlies turned into dry westerlies/northwesterlies as they fanned across south Kerala and beyond.

This explained the clear skies over south Kerala on Wednesday. Wind speeds have largely lagged to the south of Goa over the past two days, according to Captain Paresh Nerurkar who operates Airbus A320 aircraft in the sector. In the upper level, the easterlies have been clocking a steady 30 to 40 knots.

The Chennai Regional Met Centre said on Wednesday that the monsoon was active over coastal Karnataka. Most places over coastal Karnataka and Kerala and at a few places over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and interior Karnataka witnessed precipitation. Isolated rainfall was reported from Tamil Nadu and Rayalaseema, while dry weather prevailed over Lakshadweep.

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