Low-pressure system formation to impact monsoon advance to Kerala: IMD

New Delhi, June 05: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has stated that the development of a low-pressure area from a cyclonic circulation over the southeast Arabian Sea may have a significant impact on the progression of the monsoon towards the Kerala coast. However, the weather department has not provided a specific date for the arrival of the monsoon in Kerala.

According to the IMD, westerly winds over the south Arabian Sea are prevailing up to 2.1 km above mean sea level. Nevertheless, the presence of a cyclonic circulation over the southeast Arabian Sea has caused the cloud mass to be more organised and concentrated in that area, resulting in a reduction of clouds off the Kerala coast over the past 24 hours.

Additionally, it is highly likely that a low-pressure area will form over the same region within the next 24 hours under the influence of this cyclonic circulation. The IMD further predicts that this system will move nearly northwards and intensify into a depression over the southeast and adjoining east central Arabian Sea in the following 48 hours.

Also Read: Antilia bomb scare case: Ex-cop Pradeep Sharma gets interim bail

The formation, intensification, and northward movement of this system are expected to significantly influence the advancement of the southwest monsoon towards the Kerala coast, according to the IMD. Normally, the southwest monsoon arrives in Kerala on June 1 with a standard deviation of approximately seven days.

In mid-May, the IMD had previously projected that the monsoon might reach Kerala by June 4. Last year, the southeast monsoon arrived in the southern state on May 29, on June 3 in 2021, June 1 in 2020, June 8 in 2019, and May 29 in 2018.

Despite the evolving El Nino conditions, the IMD has forecasted normal rainfall for India during the southwest monsoon season. However, northwest India is expected to experience normal to below-normal rainfall, while the east, northeast, central, and south peninsula regions are anticipated to receive rainfall at 94-106 per cent of the long-period average of 87 centimeters.

Also Read: World Environment Day 2023: Wishes, quotes, images to share with your loved ones

In terms of rainfall classification, the IMD considers rainfall between 96 per cent and 104 per cent of the 50-year average to be "normal." Less than 90 per cent is categorized as "deficient," between 90 per cent and 95 per cent is "below normal," between 105 per cent and 110 per cent is "above normal," and anything above 100 per cent is classified as "excess" precipitation.

Normal rainfall is crucial for India's agricultural landscape, as 52 per cent of the net cultivated area relies on it. Additionally, it plays a vital role in replenishing reservoirs, which are essential for drinking water supplies and power generation across the country. Rainfed agriculture contributes around 40 per cent to India's total food production, making it a significant factor in the nation's food security and economic stability.

Also Read: Avalanche hits Atlakoti: Woman dead, 5 Hemkund Sahib devotees rescued