sweltering-north-india-to-get-monsoon-relief-imd

The southwest monsoon, which has slowed down after hitting Mumbai, is gathering pace and is expected to progress further by June 21-22, an official of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday.

The progress of the monsoon will provide a much-needed relief to north India, which is reeling under an intense heatwave.

“Monsoon activity was weak after ilt hit Mumbai, but it is slowly turning moderate. It will strengthen by June 21-22 and coastal Maharashtra is likely to receive good rainfall. Central Maharashtra, including Marathwada, will receive light to moderate rainfall during this time,” Sunil Kamble, Head of the Regional Meteorological Department (IMD), Mumbai, said.

IMD has said that conditions are favourable for further advance of the Southwest Monsoon into some more parts of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, coastal Andhra, some parts of West Bengal, and Bihar over from Thursday.

The weather office also forecast heavy rain in the Northeastern states, Saurashtra and Kutch in Gujarat; Konkan and Goa, central Maharashtra, Marathwada, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and coastal Karnataka.

Meanwhile, a cyclonic circulation lies over northeast Assam and a north-south trough runs from north Bihar.

Widespread light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorm, lightning, and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) likely over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, and sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim from Thursday.

Isolated to scattered light to moderate rainfall accompanied by thunderstorm, lightning, and gusty winds (30-40 kmph) very likely over Gangetic West Bengal, Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha during the next two days and is likely to increase thereafter.

Isolated heavy rainfall is very likely over Odisha on June 20-21.

On Tuesday, the IMD said that June will receive below-normal rainfall.

June and July are considered the most important monsoon months for agriculture because most of the sowing for the Kharif crop takes place during this period.