Most of North-West, Central India sees surplus showers; South stays dry

While most of North-West and adjoining Central India has recorded surplus rainfall thus far during March the weather continues to be indifferent to South Peninsula, the East Coast and the North-East.

Tamil Nadu, Rayalaseema, south interior Karnataka and coastal Karnataka have been the worst in terms of mounting rain-deficits in the whole of the country, according to statistics updated on Wednesday.

May stay dry Rain, thundershowers, and hail are expected to visit North-West and Central India into the first week of April, no such luck is indicated for the ‘problem areas’ in the South Peninsula except possibly Kerala.

The last week of March starting Monday will probably see the arrival of a rain wave from the South Bay of Bengal, which would wallop Sri Lanka and drench parts of South Tamil Nadu and adjoining Kerala.

The rain wave could probably sustain into the first week of April but will push more to the West, which would see it draining out progressively from south Tamil Nadu and confining itself mostly to Kerala.

There are also indications that during both the weeks, the thundershower regime over Kerala will connect with a narrow corridor of wet weather spreading out from north interior Karnataka and adjoining Maharashtra right until to the eastern parts of the country.

Western disturbance Even in this scenario, drought-hit areas in Tamil Nadu, south interior Karnataka and Rayalaseema are not forecast to make any significant gains, according to international weather agencies.

Meanwhile, a weather-making western disturbance has rolled into Afghanistan-Pakistan after bringing a round of wet and violent weather over West Asia just as it happened with the previous system.

It has also spun off an offspring cyclonic circulation which has a limb each firmly entrenched over Central Rajasthan and North-West Rajasthan.

The combo is forecast to bring to bear its influence over local weather progressively over North-West India, adjoining Central India and even extending to parts of peninsula.

Thunderstorms accompanied by squalls were forecast for isolated places over Punjab and Jammu on Thursday itself.

Thunderstorms seen They will combine with hail and force their way into Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and Rajasthan on Friday, an India Met Department outlook said.

Saturday will see heavy rain or snow over Jammu and Kashmir and Himachal Pradesh. Thunderstorms accompanied by squall and hail would work their way into Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, west Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan.

On Sunday, the violent weather will farm out further into parts of Central India, East India, and even Peninsular India.

Affected areas are likely to extend from Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura.