Ongoing strong monsoon spell received a further boost on Thursday with a low-pressure area forming over North-West and adjoining West-Central Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast. A preparatory cyclonic circulation was waiting over the region over the past few days, taking its own time to descend to the lower levels of the atmosphere and deepen.
Exceptional heavy rain
India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in an update the ‘low’ is expected to move in a typical West-North-West track across Odisha during the next two days. Even ahead of it, some exceptional heavy rain has been reported over Konkan (including Mumbai) and adjoining South Gujarat. Isolated extremely heavy rain is likely to continue over Konkan, Madhya Maharashtra and Gujarat during next two days and isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall thereafter.
Towards the East of the country, isolated heavy to very heavy rain is likely over Odisha next three days and over Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, Telangana and Interior Karnataka during next two days. These are some of the regions East and Central India which have been running a significant rain deficit even into July, the rainiest and second monsoon month.
Monsoon trough stays
The ‘low’ is expected to prosper thanks to proximity to the monsoon trough that dips into the East-Central Bay and runs south of its normal position (and therefore in an active state) and passes across Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh through Raipur, Sagar, Guna and Kota to Rajasthan. This apart, the shear zone of monsoon turbulence watched from the higher levels of the atmosphere through Central India linking Nashik and Bhubaneswar.
More rain for Mumbai
The IMD said in its short-term forecasts light to moderate fairly widespread to widespread rain with isolated heavy falls is likely over Central India during next five days. Isolated very heavy rain is likely over Vidarbha and Chhattisgarh on Thursday. Over West India, light to moderate to fairly widespread to widespread rain with isolated heavy to very heavy rain may continue over Konkan, Goa, the ghat areas of Madhya Maharashtra and Gujarat during next five days. Isolated heavy to very heavy rain may continue to lash Mumbai until Friday .Isolated extremely heavy rainfall is likely over Gujarat on Friday.
Karnataka, Telangana
As for South India, light to moderate fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with isolated heavy rainfall is forecast over Kerala, Karnataka and Telangana during next five days and over Coastal Andhra Pradesh for three days from Saturday. Isolated very heavy rainfall also likely over Telangana and coastal Karnataka for three days from Saturday.