Monsoon to Advance Again This Week; Northeast Braces for Heavy Rain
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has announced that conditions are favourable for the further advance of the southwest monsoon along the west coast and eastern India regions around the middle of this week. This follows a period of over a week with no monsoon movement.
In a statement on Sunday, the IMD said, “Conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into some more parts of Maharashtra, Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar and Chhattisgarh around June 23.” The Arabian Sea branch of the monsoon had last progressed along south Konkan regions on June 8, and the onset over Maharashtra has been significantly delayed. Under normal climatological circumstances, the monsoon would have covered the state by June 15.
Meanwhile, heatwave conditions continue to prevail in parts of central and northern India. The IMD has said heatwave conditions would persist over Chhattisgarh and eastern Madhya Pradesh until June 25, and over eastern Uttar Pradesh until June 24.
In the northeastern states, the monsoon is expected to bring very heavy rainfall over the next few days, with the IMD issuing a warning for isolated extremely heavy rainfall over Assam and Meghalaya. Residents in low-lying areas have been advised to stay alert.
The delay in monsoon onset over Maharashtra has exacerbated the heatwave in the Vidarbha region, where temperatures have remained above normal. The coming advance of the monsoon is expected to bring relief from the scorching heat.
The IMD continues to monitor the situation and will issue updates as conditions evolve. The public is advised to follow official weather warnings and take necessary precautions.
