The weakening of Wednesday’s depression was the only sign of relent on another hyperactive monsoon day in North India today. But this may not bring much relief to the drenched West and Central India since the ‘low’ is still capable of generating rain as it moves slowly towards Gujarat and Rajasthan.

This is in direct contrast to the scenario in the southern half of the country, where persistently dry conditions have ruled most of the Met subdivisions.

July, the rainiest month, has failed to deliver as the monsoon prepares to enter the second half. The focus will now shift to the outlook for August, normally the second rainiest.

July accounts for 32 per cent of the total monsoon rainfall. August yields 28 per cent and September 23 per cent. At 17 per cent, June is the least productive.

Indications are that the first week (beginning Tuesday next) would leave generally drier conditions over most parts of the country. This is the consensus outlook from the India Met Department (IMD) and the US Climate Prediction Centre.

Pacific storms The European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts hints that a string of storms, including a powerful typhoon brewing in the North-West Pacific, may usurp the Indian monsoon during this period.

Here, monsoon flows will be pulled across the South Peninsula and around the peninsular tip into the Bay of Bengal before being directed to feed into the Pacific storms.

First typhoon of season The Australian Bureau of Meteorology said that typhoon ‘Noru’, which raced to the south-east of Japan last week, had marked the beginning of the season in the North-West Pacific.

This is only the second time since 1950 that the first typhoon of the season materialised in the North-West Pacific this early, the Bureau said.

Related Topics
comment COMMENT NOW