Monsoon progress remains stalled for a week

Bengaluru: Just ten days into the commencement of the Southwest Monsoon, many parts of the country have already been witnessing erratic weather. From Gujarat and Rajasthan bearing the brunt of Cyclone Biparjoy, rainfall fury and flooding reported across Assam and Sikkim, extreme heatwave conditions prevailing over parts of Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Jharkhand and Bihar to thunderstorms lashing parts of Chennai, weather conditions have been rough in June.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued an Orange alert, which is a warning to be prepared, for most of east and northeast India and a Red alert, which warns to take action, for eastern Rajasthan on Monday.
As many as 25 of the 27 districts in Assam received 100 to 383 per cent excess rainfall on June 16. The heavy downpour, following the onset of the monsoon last week, has severely affected Nalbari, Lakhimpur, Tinsukia, Sonitpur, Karimganj, Barpeta and Chirang districts here. Very heavy rainfall (160-200 mm in 24 hours) was reported in Kokrajhar (210 mm), Shora (190 mm), Mawkyrwat (150 mm) districts. Likewise, Sikkim, where over 2,000 tourists were stranded due to the sudden downpour, continued to receive heavy rainfall throughout the weekend. The state capital Gangtok received over 120 mm in the last two days.
For a week now, the progress of monsoon has remained stalled. Since its onset on June 8, the country has recorded 37 per cent below normal rainfall (till June 18). “The Southwest monsoon is active over Assam, Meghalaya and Arunachal Pradesh and some parts of Manipur and Sikkim,” Met officials said. However, the latest forecast suggesting a reduction in the rainfall intensity could bring some respite to these northeastern states.
Cyclone Biparjoy, which hit the Saurashtra-Kutch coast near Gujarat’s Jakhau port on June 15, led to 300 mm of rain in four days, which is nearly 84 per cent of the Bhuj monsoon season’s total rainfall of 356 mm. This, even as monsoon is yet to officially reach Bhuj (the normal date is June 21).
At 475 mm, Gujarat’s Okha received 95 per cent of its seasonal rainfall (497 mm) this week. Eastern Rajasthan, where the remnants of the cyclone continue to bring extremely heavy rainfall, recorded June’s highest rainfall in recent decades. This was after the record rainfall in May over the state. Within four days since June 15, some of the areas here – Chitalwane (374 mm), Raniwara (314 mm), Sanchor (265 mm) and Jaswantpur (229 mm) – are now facing flood fury.
“The depression weakened into a well-marked low pressure and continues to remain over eastern Rajasthan and it is likely to move east-northeastwards with the same intensity during the next six hours,” the IMD said in its national weather bulletin issued Monday afternoon. East Rajasthan, west Madhya Pradesh and southwest Uttar Pradesh will receive heavy rainfall on Monday and Tuesday, the IMD has warned.
Though largely absent during the summer months of April and May this year, heatwaves have been raging over parts of Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Telangana and Vidarbha in Maharashtra since mid-June. High temperatures prevailed over Odisha’s Sambalpur (45.4 degrees Celsius), Jharsuguda (44.8 degrees Celsius), Sundargarh (44.5 degrees Celsius) and Bargarh (44.4 degrees Celsius).
According to the IMD, these areas will continue to experience higher-than-normal temperatures as heatwave conditions are expected to prevail for the next two days. “Severe heatwave conditions will continue over these states/regions till June 20,” Met officials said.
Such high temperatures in June are mainly due to a delayed monsoon onset and the presence of high amounts of humidity build-up associated with such temperatures. These are typical weather characteristics experienced prior to the monsoon onset, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general, IMD, had explained last week.
Tamil Nadu does not benefit much from the ongoing summer rains. The state government has declared a holiday for schools in Chennai on Monday. Bringing relief from the scorching heat, Chennai’s rainfall during the past 24 hours was recorded at 158 mm (Meenambakam) and 85 mm (Nungambakkam).
Amid this extreme weather, the IMD has said that the Southwest monsoon could make further progress into more areas in the southern peninsula, West Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand during the next 48 hours. “Conditions are becoming favourable for further progress of the Southwest monsoon,” the IMD said.
For a week now, the monsoon progress has remained stalled and the Northern Limit of the Monsoon (NLM) line continues to pass through Ratnagiri, Koppal, Puttaparthi, Sriharikota, Malda and Forbesganj.
Agencies

KR Desk