Even as isolated heat wave conditions are predicted for parts of North-West, West, Central and East-Central India over the next few days, India Meteorological Department (IMD) has hinted at the formation of a fresh low-pressure area over the South-East Bay of Bengal during the next three-four days.

The IMD said this (Sunday) morning that a preliminary circulation is likely to form over the South Andaman Sea on Wednesday (April 6) which will descend to the lower levels of the atmosphere to set up the third ‘low’ since March. Mrityunjay Mohapatra, Director-General, IMD, had alluded to this in a recent virtual interaction with newspersons.

Myanmar too sees ‘low’

The Myanmar Department of Meteorology and Hydrology had said in its 10-day outlook issued on March 28 that a ‘low’ may form over the Andaman Sea and the adjoining Bay of Bengal, though without mentioning a timeline. Significantly, it went on to add that it could go on to become a depression.

A few global models speculate that there is a fresh cyclone threat in the Bay from this ‘low’ but others are not sure. Numerical predictions of the IMD suggest the formation of a cyclone but lack consistency to formally declare an alert.

Others hint at cyclone

The Myanmar weather agency sees not one but two low-pressure areas likely forming over the Andaman Sea and the adjoining Bay of Bengal during April, with at least one intensifying into a depression. Satellite pictures on Sunday morning showed clouds building over the South Andaman Sea in anticipation of the first one.

All these points to the establishment of pre-monsoon weather over the country, with East and North-East India waking up to ‘Kal Baisakhi,’ the thunderstorm season; thundershowers over the South Peninsula; and the growing churn in the Bay of Bengal.

Pre-monsoon season

Added to this is the flare-up of heat over North-West and adjoining Central and East-Central India. Isolated heat wave conditions may prevail over Himachal Pradesh, the Jammu division, Vidarbha and Gujarat today (Sunday); over Jharkhand on both Sunday and Monday; and over Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh during the next five days due to the absence of calming western disturbance activity.

In the North-East, strong seasonal south-westerly winds from the Bay will trigger fairly widespread to widespread rainfall over Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura during the next four days and relent.

Wind discontinuity in South

In the South, a pre-monsoon trough or wind discontinuity will continue to bring light scattered/fairly widespread rainfall over Kerala and Mahe and isolated light rainfall over Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal, Coastal and South Interior Karnataka during the next five days, and over Coastal Andhra Pradesh for three days from Monday. Isolated thunderstorms and lightning are likely over Coastal and South Interior Karnataka today, and over Kerala and Mahe during the next five days.

Related Topics