Monsoon arrives... without spell
| Date :21-Jun-2024 |
By Kaushik Bhattacharya
After a delay of almost four days, the Southwest Monsoon finally arrived in Nagpur district on Thursday. India Meteorological Department (IMD), on Thursday declared the advancement of monsoon in some more parts of Vidarbha including Nagpur, Gondia and Bhandara districts as the Northern part of Nagpur district is yet to witness the onset of monsoon. However, the city received mild showers on Thursday late evening. The Pacific Ocean is likely to transition to La Nina in two months’, which implies that conditions will generally favour good monsoon rainfall in India in season’s second half (Aug-Sept). According to weather experts, during this transition period the weather changes quickly and the recent sudden advancement of monsoon is also a part of it.
With advancement of monsoon, the weather department predicted heavy rainfall at isolated places of Vidarbha during June 20 to 22 and it issued orange alert for Nagpur, Bhandara and Gadchiroli on June 20 and orange alert for Amravati, Gadchiroli and Yavatmal for June 21. The Northern Limit of Monsoon now passes through Amravati, Gondia, Durg, Rampur (Kalahandi), Malda, Bhagalpur and Raxaul on June 20. A cyclonic circulation lies over East Bihar and neighbourhood and extends upto 1.5 km above mean sea level. Similarly, the cyclonic circulation over Eastcentral Bay of Bengal now lies over Eastcentral and adjoining Northeast Bay of Bengal between 3.1 and 5.8 km above mean sea level. Due to these weather systems the monsoon will get active in Central India in coming days.
According to weather department, heavy rainfall, gusty winds (speed reaching 40-50 kmph) with thunderstorm and lightning likely to occur at isolated places over Vidarbha on both days. In last 24 hours, Chandrapur received the highest 39.4 mm rainfall followed by Bramhapuri 37.4 mm, Bhandara 19.8 mm, Amravati 13 mm, Gadchiroli 7 mm, Gondia 2.6 mm, Buldhana 2 mm, Yavatmal 1.1 mm, and Nagpur 0.4 mm. Gadchiroli recorded the lowest maximum temperature with 30C. Buldhana (330C), Bhandara (33.80C), and Gondia (33.80C) reported the maximum temperature below 340C mark on Thursday. Other parts of Vidarbha also recorded the maximum temperature below 380C.
31% deficit in Vidarbha in June, so far
Vidarbha has witnessed 31% below normal rainfall since the start of the Southwest Monsoon on June 1 this year. Out of eleven districts, only Buldhana (46%) and Washim (35%) received excess rainfall till June 19, whereas Akola (7%) received normal rainfall till date, revealed the meteorological data provided by a weather agency on Thursday. After reaching Vidarbha four days earlier than the usual date of June 15, and swift covering South and West Vidarbha, the rain bearing system made no significant progress between June 14 to 19, extending the wait for the remaining Central and East Vidarbha districts.
Vidarbha gets monsoon mainly when the weather system travels through Bay of Bengal. This year, the Southwest Monsoon commenced from Arabian Sea which caused early onset of monsoon in most parts of Maharashtra including South and West Vidarbha. After reaching Chandrapur and Amravati districts of Vidarbha, the system that came from Arabian Sea got subdued. Whereas, monsoon got no support from Bay of Bengal between June 12 and 19 in all over the country. Due to absence of any rain-bearing system from Bay of Bengal the Northern Limit of Southwest Monsoon settled in some parts of Vidarbha. However, conditions are now favourable for further advancement of the monsoon into parts of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, coastal Andhra Pradesh, northwest Bay of Bengal, Bihar and Jharkhand over the next three to four days, said India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Vidarbha received 60.2 mm of rainfall between June 1 and 19 which is -31% deficit of the normal 87.1 mm rains.
Since June 1, Bhandara district witnessed the highest shortfall of monsoon rains in Vidarbha with -80% Large Deficit (LD). Bhandara district, so far received just 17.3 mm rainfall in against of 85.1 mm normal rains. Like Bhandara, Gondia district which is also yet to witness the onset of monsoon, witnessed -77% shortfall of monsoon rains till June 19. Gondia received just 20.1 mm rainfall till date whereas the normal is 87.9 mm till June 19. Nagpur is also waiting for the onset of monsoon from last seven days as the normal onset is June 15. Till date, Nagpur reported 48 mm actual rainfall whereas the normal is 75.5 mm. Nagpur is witnessing -36% monsoon deficit till June 19. Out of eleven districts in Vidarbha, 3 districts are witnessing Large Deficit of rainfall, whereas 5 districts are witnessing Deficit, 1 district received Normal rainfall, and 2 districts received Excess rainfall so far.