Monsoon readies to enter Delhi as IMD confirms watch for first ‘low’

Outlook for Thursday suggested heavy rain to continue over Central India; the west coast; and along the Himalayan foothills even as the monsoon approached the National Capital Region in Delhi. | Photo Credit: www.meteoblue.com

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday confirmed the likely formation of a low-pressure area over the north-west Bay of Bengal by Friday, setting the stage for a fresh advance of monsoon into remaining parts of North-West and Central India accompanied with a vigorous rain spell.

The IMD said conditions are favourable for the monsoon to advance into more parts of Gujarat; Madhya Pradesh; Uttar Pradesh; Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi; Punjab; and parts of Rajasthan. The northern limit on Wednesday passed through Porbandar and Vallabh Vidyanagar in Gujarat; Shajapur in Madhya Pradesh; Naugaon, Mirzapur, Azamgarh, Ayodhya, Budaun and Meerut in Uttar Pradesh; Karnal in Haryana; and Gurdaspur in Punjab.

A prevailing cyclonic circulation over the north Bay is expected to intensify into the season’s first low-pressure area by Friday, providing the trigger for renewed rain activity. The monsoon trough over land already stretched from Punjab to the north Bay and is well placed to channel moisture deep into North-West India.

The offshore trough along the west coast, another key monsoon feature has reappeared, extending from south Gujarat to Karnataka. It draws moisture from the Arabian Sea and lifts it over the Western Ghats to rain it down heavy along the west coast. A well-developed offshore trough is a hallmark of an active monsoon.

The Bay and Arabian Sea branches of monsoon are now working in tandem to push seasonal rains towards western Rajasthan and complete coverage over entire country. Strong currents also generated cyclonic circulations over Uttar Pradesh and north Chhattisgarh, strengthening rainfall over Central and North-West India. A trough linking the Bay circulation to north-east Arabian Sea across south West Bengal; Odisha; Chhattisgarh; north Maharashtra; and Gujarat triggered widespread heavy to very heavy rainfall over the region.

Supported by these favourable conditions, the monsoon on Wednesday advanced further into Gujarat; all of Daman and Diu; more parts of Madhya Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh; remaining parts of Uttarakhand; Himachal Pradesh and Ladakh; the whole of Jammu and Kashmir; and parts of Haryana and Punjab.

The 24 hours ending in the morning saw extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places over eastern Gujarat; Konkan and Goa; and coastal Karnataka. Heavy to very heavy rainfall also occurred at a few places over Konkan and Goa; and at isolated locations over West Bengal; Odisha; eastern Gujarat and Coastal Karnataka.

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