Peninsula not letting monsoon go

The monsoon is still holding on to parts of North-West India despite a pattern of reversal of winds, signalling signs of its withdrawal.

The withdrawal has been delayed by a week already, and there are forecasts suggesting stiff resistance being offered from East, Central and Peninsular India, where rain-generating circulations are expected to be active until mid-September.

Vigorous monsoon During the 24 hours ending Wednesday morning, a number of stations over Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Andhra Pradesh received moderate to heavy rain. North-East India, too, witnessed sustained wet spells during this period.

The Chennai Met office said in a bulletin that the monsoon was ‘vigorous’ over Tamil Nadu, south interior Karnataka and ‘active’ over north interior Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala.

Rainfall occurred at most places over Rayalaseema, Lakshadweep; at many places over coastal Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, interior Karnataka; at a few places over Telangana; and at isolated places over coastal Karnataka.

Tamil Nadu & Puducherry, Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra Pradesh have received above normal showers thus far during the season. South and north interior Karnataka have returned to ‘normal’, while Kerala and Coastal Karnatak may do so soon.

But entire Uttar Pradesh and Madhya Pradesh (four Met subdivisions in all), Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi and Vidarbha still nurse some deficit, with West Uttar Pradesh (-34 per cent) faring the worst.

The monsoon withdrawal process could bring a few rounds of interactive rain as withdrawing westerlies ram into moisture-laden easterlies from the Bay of Bengal.

However, the ongoing week ending September 11 may not yield the expected gains for Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh, according to the US Climate Prediction Centre.

The situation could change during September 12 to 18 when excess rain is forecast for Gujarat, Konkan-Mumbai and West Madhya Pradesh in the West and Telangana, Rayalaseema and Kerala in the south.