In yet another switchback of monsoon fortunes, a low-pressure area may form over the West-Central Bay of Bengal off the Andhra Pradesh coast by Sunday, bringing fairly widespread rain and isolated heavy falls over North-East and Central India, the adjoining Peninsular India and along the West Coast until next Tuesday.

Scattered rainfall has been forecast over East India during this period, even as dry weather is likely to prevail over North-West India except along the hills (over Uttarakhand) and East Uttar Pradesh. The western parts, including Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan, could witness dry conditions as the monsoon may exit the region.

Arabian Sea low weakens

A rain-driving low-pressure area over the Arabian Sea has weakened, but leaves a cyclonic circulation hovering over the East-Central Arabian Sea and an offshore trough (along the coast), though skewed in alignment from the Maharashtra coast to Lakshadweep. Normally, it should run down off the coast towards Karnataka and Kerala.

The compelling presence of a cyclonic circulation over East-Central Arabian Sea seems to have led it to bend seaward instead, watched from above by a supportive zone of monsoon turbulence, a platform for monsoon systems to play around in. The wind shear lay aligned across Mangaluru, Bengaluru and Chennai on Tuesday.

Heavy rain forecast

Their combined influence will trigger fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls, thunderstorms and lightning over Peninsular India for another four-five days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Heavy to very heavy rainfall was forecast over Tamil Nadu and Puducherry on Tuesday; and over Coastal Karnataka and Kerala over Thursday and Friday.

A cyclonic circulation was traced over West Assam and adjoining hills of West Bengal and Sikkim. Fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy falls, thunderstorm and lightning are forecast over the region. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is forecast over Assam, Meghalaya and the hills of West Bengal and Sikkim on Thursday.

Outlook for Wednesday indicated heavy rainfall for the hills of West Bengal, Sikkim, Odisha, Assam, Meghalaya, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada, Konkan, Goa, Coastal and South Interior Karnataka, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, and Puducherry.

Strong winds (speed reaching 45-55 km/hr) would prevail over the South-West Arabian Sea, the Kerala-Karnataka coasts, Lakshadweep area, the Gulf of Mannar, and the Comorin area. Fishermen are advised not to venture into these areas.

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