The Hindu Business Line : Monsoon stuck across Goa, coastal Andhra Pradesh

THE northern limit of a delayed south-west monsoon has failed to progress much beyond Goa on the west coast and the south of Machilipatnam on the east coast, where it was traced two days ago.

The system may have covered some lost ground while running up this distance, but not as much to the North where it should normally have reached by this time of the year.

June 10 is traditionally the onset date for an arc-like geography linking Mumbai and further eastwards to Cuttack, Ranchi and Patna.

Not only have the westerlies failed to pick up strength for the third day running, their general course has been slightly compromised, thanks to the presence of an embedded northerly component.

Speaking to Business Line, Mr Bhaskaran Nair, Director-In-Charge at the Thiruvananthapuram Met Office, said wind speeds have failed to reach the threshold 25-knot level. A properly evolved monsoon assumes core wind speeds ranging from 25 knots to 30 knots.

One or two upper air cyclonic circulations have been traced to the region above the Bay of Bengal; but on Friday none of them showed signs of progressing into wet weather-aiding `low' or depression. Ideally, tropical lows or depressions should be located close to the Head Bay for bringing rain into the mainland.

The monsoon trough that usually extends from Rajasthan to the tip of the Bay had also not settled to position. When fully developed, the sideways movement of the trough line relative to its mean determines the area where precipitation is concentrated at any given time.

On Friday, widespread rain was reported across Kerala and Lakshadweep, thanks mainly to the sea-level trough positioned along the Kerala-South Konkan coast. Thodupuzha recorded isolated heavy rain of 11 cm.

The other chief amounts of rainfall in cm are: Thiruvananthapuram city and Perinthalmanna - 6 each; Chittoor, Mannarkad and Varkala - 5 each; Piravom - 4; Kochi, Chalakkudy, Kollam and Kozha - 3 each.

According to the India Meteorological Department forecast, valid until the morning of Saturday, rain is likely at many places in Kerala and Lakshadweep. Isolated heavy falls have been forecast at some places during the next two days.

The current rain activity in coastal Karnataka, Kerala and the Andaman and Nicobar is likely to continue over the next few days.

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