The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said the first post-monsoon low-pressure area will form over North-West and adjoining West-Central Bay of Bengal off the Odisha coast as early as tomorrow (Friday), setting up a fresh rain spell over East and North-East India.
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A preparatory cyclonic circulation has been hovering off the North Andhra Pradesh-South Odisha coasts over the past couple of days. The build-up of the low-pressure area will see heavy to very heavy rainfall being unleashed over Odisha today (Thursday), the IMD said.
Heavy rain, high winds
Heavy rainfall has been forecast at isolated places over Coastal Andhra Pradesh and the North-Eastern States of Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura today. Strong south-westerly winds speeding up to 45-55 km/hr have been forecast over the Andaman Sea during the day.
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Even more pacey winds (speeds reaching 40-50 km/hr) have been forecast over North-West and adjoining West-Central Bay of Bengal along and off the Odisha coast where the low is building. The IMD has advised fishermen against venturing out into these sea areas.
Also today, thunderstorm with lightning has been warned over Jharkhand, plains of West Bengal, Andaman & Nicobar Islands, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathawada, Telangana and Coastal Andhra Pradesh.
Unusual track for low
The outlook for the next few days indicate scattered to fairly widespread rainfall, moderate thunderstorms and lightning over Odisha, Jharkhand and the plains of West Bengal during the next 3-4 days as the slow-moving low crosses the Odisha coast and seeks to push inland.
The raging westerlies to northerly winds will cause it to move south into Coastal Andhra Pradesh before moving into Telangana and crossing Peninsular India towards the West Coast by October 10, an unusual track for it to take over an atypically extended period of time.
Along the course, the low-pressure area will bring to bear a regime of moderately strong winds variously easterly-to north-easterly to south-easterly which could bring the monsoon withdrawal process to a halt over Peninsular India, according to short to medium term weather guidance.
Rains for North-East, too
The IMD has forecast isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall over Odisha today (Thursday) and Sunday; and heavy rainfall over Odisha tomorrow (Friday); and over Jharkhand and the plains of West Bengal on Saturday and Sunday in line with the movement of the low-pressure area.
Fairly widespread rainfall and isolated heavy falls are likely over Arunachal Pradesh on Saturday and Sunday; over Assam and Meghalaya on Friday, Saturday and Sunday; and over Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura during from today (Thursday) to Sunday.