The latest typhoon in the Northwest Pacific 'Koppu' is at least two days away from hitting the Philippines and will delay the onset of Northeast monsoon over the Bay of Bengal.

'Koppu' is located 685 km out into the sea away northeast of Manila this morning, and is moving laterally at less than expected pace for making a landfall over the Philippine archipelago.

TAKING DETOUR

Its forecast track will see it take a detour after hitting the Philippines and trundling north towards Taiwan and onward to the southeast coast of China for subsequent landfalls.

There is yet another typhoon, named 'Champi' located even farther out into the West Pacific, which is expected to veer off course towards Japan much before it can reach anywhere near the Philippines.

'Koppu,' and to a lesser extent, 'Champi' would impact the wind flows over the Bay of Bengal, which are just about turning northeasterly, as is what is seasonally expected.

These flows will be progressively forced to turn clockwise to feed the twin typhoons in the Pacific; the net-effect is that the onset of northeast monsoon would be delayed.

DELAYED ONSET

The winds would have to turn even more clock-wise in the Bay until they straighten out to being easterly to northeasterly to bring the northeasterly monsoon.

This is not expected to happen until May 22, according to the projections of India Met Department. Meanwhile, the Met said that the remnant Southwest monsoon has resumed its withdrawal from the mainland.

Yesterday, the Southwest monsoon exited from even more parts of West, Central, East and South Peninsular India as the withdrawal acquired sense of urgency.

But it has refused to cede the entire East and Northeast and is putting up some resistance, aided by the southwesterly flows in the Bay that the twin Pacific typhoons would generate.

MULTIPLE LANDFALLS

Parts of the East and Northeast would stay 'live' from the southwest monsoon point of view for at least another two to three days during when typhoon 'Koppu' would barrel into the Philippines.

But the typhoon would not be finished just yet since it would merely take a detour and take its own time to run down towards Taiwan and Southeast China.

The Northeast monsoon would need to wait it out as long to establish presence over the Bay and drive the prevailing Southwest monsoon for good from both the mainland of India and adjoining seas.

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