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Wet spell over northwest India, including Delhi may hit 4-day pause: Met
“A wet spell is just ending with widespread rains over northwest and west India. Another wet spell is likely to begin from September 6 in association with the likely development of a low-pressure area,” said M Mohapatra, director general, IMD.
The wet spell over northwest India, including Delhi, is likely to abate for the next three to four days, continuing the trend seen in this monsoon season of intense rains interspersed with relatively dry spells, but will resume from early next week, the India Meteorological Department said.
However, in the same period, rains will increase over peninsular India and the west coast, the Met said.
A low-pressure area is likely to develop over Bay of Bengal on September 6; it is likely to travel westwards and bring widespread rains over central and parts of northwest India.
“A wet spell is just ending with widespread rains over northwest and west India. Another wet spell is likely to begin from September 6 in association with the likely development of a low-pressure area,” said M Mohapatra, director general, IMD.
“The remnant of a low pressure system is still bringing widespread rains over Gujarat and the Kutch region. The same system was bringing widespread and intense rain over Delhi and other parts of northwest India till Thursday. The system has now weakened but a western disturbance is also impacting the region. Now, with the development of a low-pressure area around September 6, we can expect an active spell, especially over central India,” said K Sathi Devi, head, national weather forecasting centre.
The extended rain forecast of IMD indicates there will be widespread rains over central and east India at least till September 16, and fairly widespread rains over parts of east and northwest India till September 23.
The normal date for commencement of monsoon withdrawal from northwest India is September 17. The withdrawal may be further delayed this time, IMD said.
“We do not have a forecast for monsoon withdrawal but our long-range forecast is showing good rains at least till September 16 so we have to monitor conditions closely,” said Mohapatra.
According to IMD, widespread rainfall with isolated very heavy rain is very likely over Saurashtra and Kutch during the next 24 hours, and isolated heavy rain is also very likely over Gujarat and the Saurashtra and Kutch regions on Friday.
Rainfall activity over south peninsular India is likely to increase from September 4, with widespread rainfall and isolated heavy rain very likely over Konkan, Goa, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana and Tamil Nadu between September 4 and 6; Karnataka, Kerala, Mahe and Marathwada on September 5 and 6; and over Madhya Maharashtra on September 6.
Rainfall over Central India is also likely to increase from September 5. with widespread and heavy rain over Chhattisgarh till September 6; Vidarbha and Madhya Pradesh are also likely to record heavy rain.
Meanwhile, scattered rain is likely to continue over east and northeast India including Assam, Meghalaya, sub-Himalayan West Bengal for the next couple of days.
There is 9% deficiency in rain since June 1 across the country with 13% deficiency each over northwest and central India, 8% over east and northeast India, and an 8% excess over the southern peninsula.
IMD expects the monsoon in September to be 110% of the long period average, which will reduce some of the deficit, although overall rainfall in the June-September season will still be at the “lower end of the normal category”.
