No uptick in monsoon over South India, to enter weak phase: Skymet

Private weather forecasting agency Skymet said on Sunday that there might not be any significant uptick in monsoon activity over Southern India in parts where it has already reached while the rains will be vigorous over North-Eastern India.

The state-run India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its last weather update, had said rainfall will increase over the south peninsular India from June 7.

According to the IMD, fairly widespread-widespread to light-moderate rainfall with thunderstorm-lightning very likely over Karnataka, Kerala, Mahe and Lakshadweep, and isolated to scattered over Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Tamil Nadu, Karaikal and Puducherry during the next five days.

While, isolated to heavy rainfall likely over southern interior Karnataka during the next five days, over Tamil Nadu on June 6 and 7, over Kerala and Mahe on June 5, 7, 8 and 9 and over northern interior Karnataka on June 8.

The IMD said that intense rainfall spells will continue over North-East India, sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during the next five days.

“We don’t expect any heavy downpour over the Southern Peninsular India over the next one week, atleast till June 10, but yes, monsoon activity will remain active over North-east India,” Mahesh Palawat, vice president meteorology and climate change at Skymet Weather, told Business Standard.

He said in the first four days of the 2022 southwest monsoon season as per their assessment, rainfall across India has been 32 per cent below normal while in North-East India, it is 11 per cent above normal.

“But, the good thing is that in most places so far the monsoon has reached before time,” Palawat added.

Earlier, the IMD said that the south-west monsoon has set in over Kerala on May 29, three days ahead of its normal onset date of June 1.