Kolkata/Shillong, Jun 9 (PTI) The southwest monsoon, which set over Kerala on June 4, marking the beginning of the four-month-long rainy season in India, advanced into North Bengal and the northeastern
states on Tuesday.
North Bengal is the gateway to the eight northeastern states.
The weather office said conditions remain favourable for further advance of the monsoon into eastern, central and western India in the next four to five days.
In a bulletin issued on Tuesday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, “The southwest monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of northeastern states, entire Sikkim and some parts of sub-Himalayan West Bengal.” It has forecast heavy rain in the north Bengal districts of Darjeeling, Kalimpong, Alipurduar, Jalpaiguri and Cooch Behar till June 13.
Thunderstorms and light to moderate rain are likely in some of the south Bengal districts, which are experiencing humid and discomforting weather, the India Meteorological Department said in its forecast till June 15.
Meteorologists said the advance of the monsoon was aided by favourable atmospheric conditions, including a cyclonic circulation over the region and strong southwesterly winds.
The IMD expects rainfall in India to be around 90% of the long-period average (LPA) this year.
The LPA refers to the rainfall recorded in a specific region over a defined period, such as a month or season, averaged over a long duration, typically 30 to 50 years.
The long-period average (LPA) of seasonal rainfall over the country as a whole, based on data from 1971 to 2020, is 87 cm. If the monsoon season sees less than 90 pc of LPA rainfall, the IMD classifies it as ‘deficient’.
One reason behind the below-normal rainfall could be the emergence of El Nino conditions, which lead to less rain during the monsoon in the country.
Currently, neutral El Nino-Southern Oscillation conditions are transitioning towards El Nino conditions over the equatorial Pacific region.
The IMD said that El Nino conditions are likely to be weak in June, and moderate to strong in September. PTI AMR JOP NSD
