The low-pressure area over the south-east Arabian Sea has intensified a round into being well-marked and moved out to the east-central part of the sea this afternoon.

It is lying at a location off the Karnataka and Maharashtra coasts, according to an India Meteorological Department update.

Fresh 'low'

Forecasts continue to indicate a fresh ‘low’ being yanked out of the Bay of Bengal into Andhra Pradesh and adjoining Maharashtra soon after the incumbent dies out.

This could happen as soon as Thursday (Aug 28) as a trough sticking its neck out from the north dips into the central Bay and emerges with a preparatory circulation.

This means that the current wet spell could last into the coming weekend as well and potentially see the end of the 2014 monsoon for northwest India and Gujarat.

This is because ‘time is apparently up’ for the region with the monsoon being known to start withdrawing from here from September 1.

Anti-cyclone

There is a hint of an anti-cyclonic (high-pressure area indicating sinking air motion, lack of clouds and dry air) circulation trying to set up a perch over west Rajasthan.

This compares with the cyclonic circulation (low-pressure area indicating ascending motion of air, moisture and clouds) that marks the monsoonal regime.

A western disturbance checking across the border into Rajasthan later into next week and toying with the building anti-cyclonic circulation there will be of interest.

In the normal case, the western disturbance would interact with the monsoon easterlies from the Bay of Bengal and set up a vigorous wet spell over the plains.

Heavy rains

But it remains to be seen what the itinerant one can do after it drifts in from across the Pakistan border.

The well-marked ‘low’ in the south brought ferocious torrents to pulverise Lakshadweep, Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu until this morning.

The outlook for the rest of the day indicates that heavy to very rainfall may lash Lakshadweep, Kerala, coastal Karnataka, south interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry.

Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, north interior Karnataka, Vidarbha and southwest Madhya Pradesh may also witness moderate to heavy rainfall.

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