Southwest monsoon sets in over Odisha, coastal districts likely to get heavy rainfall

The Met department’s prediction that the monsoon is likely to be normal this year has brought some relief to farmers in West Bengal and Odisha, hit hard this year by severe cyclonic storm Amphan which damaged standing crops in both states.

The Southwest Monsoon set in over Odisha on Thursday with several parts of the state receiving heavy rainfall, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. Conditions are now favourable for the advance of the Southwest Monsoon into some parts of the Central Arabian Sea and Maharashtra, remaining parts of Telangana, west central and North Bay of Bengal, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Sikkim and, some more parts of Odisha and Gangetic West Bengal in the next 48 hours, the IMD indicated.

The IMD Goa unit too announced on Thursday that the onset of monsoon in the state -- a week behind its schedule – had begun in parts of the Konkan coast and Maharashtra. (Image used for representation). (HT PHOTO.)

“The Southwest Monsoon has set in over Odisha on Thursday. Widespread rainfall is expected over south and coastal Odisha districts and heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected in Koraput, Malkangiri, in the next 24 hours,” Director of IMD Bhubaneswar, HR Biswas said.

“The monsoon has arrived in Odisha,” the Bhubaneswar Met Centre also said in a tweet.

With the advancement of the monsoon, heavy rainfall is likely to lash a few districts in Odisha over the next two days. The Met department’s prediction that the monsoon is likely to be normal this year has brought some relief to farmers in West Bengal and Odisha, hit hard this year by severe cyclonic storm Amphan which damaged standing crops in both states.

The IMD Goa unit too announced on Thursday that the onset of monsoon in the state -- a week behind its schedule – had begun in parts of the Konkan coast and Maharashtra.

The northern limit of the monsoon, which is lying at Karwar in neighbouring Karnataka and south of Goa, has covered all of Karnataka and entered parts of Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh, the IMD said.

The onset of the Southwest Monsoon is usually declared after necessary conditions have been met such as westerly winds blowing at a speed between 30 and 45 kilometres per hour (kmph) and widespread distribution of moderate to heavy rainfall over certain areas during the last 24 hours.

IMD officials have also issued a red alert warning for Goa, as the state is expected to record extremely heavy rainfall measuring over 20.4 cm and 11.5 cm on Friday and Saturday, followed by an orange alert, or heavy rainfall, on Sunday.

The IMD authorities expect this year’s monsoon to be normal in Goa.