Monsoon likely to revive in North India from today

New Delhi: After a gap of nearly two weeks, the southwest monsoon is set to revive in north India from August 19, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday. The IMD said scattered to fairly widespread rainfall activity with isolated heavy falls are very likely over east UP and Uttarakhand from August 19 to 21. Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi and west UP are likely to witness rainfall activity from August 20-21 August. Isolated heavy to very heavy falls are also very likely over Uttarakhand on August 19 and 20.

New Delhi, Aug. 18: The southwest monsoon is set to revive in the northern India from August 19, the IMD said on Wednesday. The weather department has predicted moderate rainfall in the upcoming 2-3 days.

There will be fairly widespread rainfall in Gujarat, Maharashtra, Odisha, Jharkhand and Gangetic West Bengal on Wednesday and Thursday. East Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand are expected to witness isolated heavy rainfall starting Thursday which will continue till Saturday.

IMD has issued an orange alert for moderate rain in the capital on Saturday, with the revival of the monsoon in northwest India. The precipitation is expected to bring the maximum temperature down to 32 degrees Celsius in three to four days. On Wednesday, the capital recorded a maximum temperature of 38 degrees Celsius, four notches above normal. The minimum temperature settled at 27.4 degrees Celsius.

Delhi has recorded just 63.2 mm rainfall against the normal of 157.1 mm so far this month as the capital and its adjoining areas in northwest India had entered a break monsoon phase, the second this season, on August 10. The IMD has now forecast moderate to isolated heavy rain in Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Delhi between August 19 and August 23 with the revival of the monsoon.

Weather experts said good rainfall in the last 10 days of the month is expected to cover the precipitation deficit in the capital.

Normally, the capital gauges 247.7 mm rainfall in August. During the monsoon season, there are spells when the monsoon trough shifts closer to the foothills of the Himalayas, leading to a sharp decline in rainfall over most parts of the country. However, rainfall increases along the foothills of the Himalayas, Northeast India and parts of the southern peninsula.

In July, the monsoon had entered the first break phase even before reaching most parts of northwest India, including Delhi.