SW monsoon arrives in West Bengal, North-east

New Delhi, June 14: The southwest monsoon on Tuesday further advanced into parts of West Bengal, the seven north-eastern states and Sikkim, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said in its latest weather bulletin.

Also, the Met department has stated that the monsoon would further advance into the eastern states of Jharkhand, Odisha and Bihar, and parts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, Karnataka and Goa, in the next four to five days.

“Conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into some more parts of Goa, Konkan, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathwada and remaining parts of north interior Kar nataka, Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra Pradesh, some parts of Telangana, remaining parts of Bay of Bengal and Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar during the next four to five days,” IMD has stated in its latest weather report. Since entering Kerala coast on June 8, the monsoon has been confined to parts of Kerala and Karnataka, and parts of Konkan in the last few days.

According to private forecaster Skymet, weather conditions remain favourable for its further advancement of monsoon, covering more parts Konkan and Goa, north interior Karnataka, the remaining parts of coastal and south interior Karnataka, coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema and central Bay of Bengal in the next two to three days. “We expect the southwest monsoon to strike Mumbai in a span of the next four days,” Skymet said in a statement.

After two successive years of deficient monsoon (2014 and 2015), IMD earlier in the month had reiterated its April prediction by stating that the southwest monsoon would be “above normal” rainfall at 106% of the benchmark long period average (LPA), with a model error of ± 4%.

The heartening part of the IMD’s forecast was that there is a 96% probability of the monsoon (June-September) being normal or excess. A normal or excess rainfall this year is expected to boost the country’s kharif crops (paddy, pulses, cotton and oilseed) output besides ensuring sufficient soil moisture for the next rabi or winter crops (wheat, pulses and oilseeds).

On the region-wise distribution of monsoon rains, the second long range forecast released by LS Rathore, director general, IMD, said that the north-west region will receive 108% rainfall of LPA while central India and the southern peninsula are expected to get rainfall that is 113% of the LPA.