The southwest monsoon is likely to advance into Maharashtra and surrounding areas in the next two-three days, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The southwest monsoon entered Maharashtra on June 6 and slowed down after arriving on schedule despite a delayed onset in Kerala, according to the IMD.
The monsoon made landfall in Kerala on June 4, three days after its normal start date of June 1, and almost a week later than the IMD’s previous forecast of around May 26. It then advanced rapidly, covering large parts of the western coast as far as Goa by 5 June before moving into Maharashtra the next day.
The monsoon “has already advanced into the entire northwest Bay of Bengal, some other parts of west-central Bay of Bengal, West Bengal and Bihar, and some parts of Odisha and Jharkhand” on June 12, the Meteorological Office said in a bulletin on Friday.
The monsoon is delayed a bit and makes its way to Mumbai, Maharashtra and other areas. The reason for the delay was cited as the influence of western disturbances and weather systems from the northwest disrupting the normal flow of monsoon winds. Read more about delays here
When does monsoon arrive in Mumbai?
In a bulletin on Friday, the IMD said conditions are favorable for further advance of the southwest monsoon into some other parts of Central Arabian Sea, Maharashtra, remaining parts of Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal, some other parts of Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar and some parts of Chhattisgarh “during the next 2-3 days”.
The northern limit of the monsoon IMD currently passes through Harnai in coastal Maharashtra and Solapur in the interior of the state, indicating that the monsoon is approaching Mumbai and adjoining areas.
Even before the official start, parts of Maharashtra are likely to witness rain activity over the next week. The IMD has forecast “isolated to scattered” rainfall over Konkan, the region in which Mumbai, Thane, etc. in Maharashtra, Goa, Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada fall during June 12-18.
However, there is no IMD rain alert for Mumbai till June 16, while the city has been placed under yellow warning for ‘hot day’ conditions on June 12 and 13.
It also forecast “isolated thunderstorms, lightning and gusty winds (gusting to 40-50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph)” over Konkan, Goa, Madhya Maharashtra and Marathwada during June 12-13.
Meanwhile, the heatwave is expected to continue in parts of the state. “Heatwave conditions are very likely in isolated pockets over Marathwada during June 12-13” and in Vidarbha during June 12-16, the IMD said.
During the last 24 hours, thunderstorm activity accompanied by gusty winds was reported at isolated places over Konkan and Madhya Maharashtra, according to the bulletin dated June 12.
