New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday (May 16, 2022) informed that the southwest monsoon has advanced into the Andaman and Nicobar islands and signaled the start of the four-month seasonal rains. In a weather bulletin, the IMD said that the Andaman and Nicobar islands and adjoining areas have been experiencing rainfall due to strengthening south-westerly winds in the lower tropospheric levels.
“In view of strengthening of south-westerlies in the lower tropospheric levels, fairly widespread to widespread rainfall activity and persistent cloudiness over the area; Southwest Monsoon has advanced into some parts of South Bay of Bengal, most part of Andaman Nicobar Islands and the Andaman Sea today,” the weather office said in a statement.
“Conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into some more parts of south Bay of Bengal, entire Andaman Sea & Andaman Islands and some parts of east-central Bay of Bengal during next 2-3 days,” the IMD added.
Earlier last week, it had said that the southwest monsoon was expected to reach Kerala by May 27, five days before the normal onset date of June 1, under the favourable weather conditions triggered by remnants of Cyclone Asani.
IMD’s rainfall and thunderstorm forecast
Due to strong southwesterly winds from the Bay of Bengal to the northeast and adjoining East India at lower tropospheric levels, the IMD said that widespread light/moderate rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy falls are very likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during next 4-5 days. Isolated heavy falls are very likely over Mizoram and Tripura during May 16-18, the IMD said.
In view of strengthening of southwesterlies in the lower tropospheric levels, fairly widespread to
widespread rainfall activity and persistent cloudiness over the area; Southwest Monsoon has advanced
into some parts of South Bay of Bengal, most part of Andaman Nicobar Islands pic.twitter.com/61Vv3OSift— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) May 16, 2022
“Isolated to scattered rainfall with isolated thunderstorm/lightning/gusty winds likely over Bihar, Jharkhand, Gangetic West Bengal, and Odisha during next 3-4 days,” the weather office said.
The presence of cyclonic circulations over Lakshadweep and north Tamil Nadu coast is expected to bring fairly widespread rainfall with isolated thunderstorm/ lightning/gusty winds with isolated heavy to very heavy falls over Kerala, Coastal & South Interior Karnataka during the next five days, it added.
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Isolated heavy rainfall is also expected over Tamil Nadu from May 16 to May 18 and over the Lakshadweep area from May 16 to May 17.
The weather office said that scattered to fairly widespread light/moderate rainfall with thunderstorm/lightning/gusty winds are very likely over Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand on May 16 and May 17.
“Isolated light rainfall with thunderstorm/lightning/gusty winds are very likely over Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan on May 16 and May 17,” it said.
No heatwave for next four days in Delhi
The India Meteorological Department on Monday also said that the heatwave prevailing in the national capital and other north Indian states will abate from May 17 for the next four days.
“Yesterday`s heatwave was the most severe. The peak is over. Today we are having a trend of 3 to 4 degrees fall over Rajasthan, Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, and Madhya Pradesh,” IMD Senior Scientist RK Jenamani told ANI.
“In Delhi, Safdarjung may record a max temperature of 43 degrees Celsius. As the western disturbance further comes, the heatwave will be abated by tomorrow over a large area,” he added.
(With agency inputs)
