Weather in Chennai turned unusually rainy on Sunday, when 52 mm of rain lashed the coastal city. This amount of rain was the heaviest Chennai has received in the entire season, beginning March.
Rain in Chennai in the month of June is not heavy as it lies in the rain shadow area. Owing to this the city observes less rain in the Southwest Monsoon season and more during the Northeast Monsoon in the winter months.
According to weather data available with Skymet meteorology Division in India, the normal rainfall figure for Chennai in the month of June is 52 mm and till now 77 mm of rain have already been recorded, of which 52 mm occurred on 8th June and 22 mm on 3rd June.
“Heavy spells of rain in Chennai, like the one observed on Sunday are not very common. Though there have been instances in the previous years when rain in Chennai has been unusually heavy of over 100 mm. Rain figures in Chennai are already in excess and more rain in next 48 hours could further raise the number. Therefore this year could also be one of those years when Chennai gets more rain than normal”, says AVM (Retd) G.P Sharma.
Weather records show 2008, 2010, 2011 were excess rainfall years in Chennai when 126 mm, 137 mm and 130 mm of rain occurred in the month of June respectively. Rain in 2012 and 2013 was 25 mm and 34 mm respectively, deficit by over 50%.
Forecast suggest light rain in Chennai is likely during the next 48 hours due to a a sharp rise in the mercury levels which will lead to accumulation of moisture. Humid southwesterly winds from the Arabian Sea travelling up to Chennai may further add to the moisture content. The maximum in Chennai on Wednesday was a whopping 40⁰C. Maximum in Chennai is expected to be around the same for Thursday and Friday.
The severe cyclonic storm named ‘Nanauk’ in the Arabian Sea has moved west/northwestward and is centred at latitude 18.1°N and 64.7°E longitude at 00UTC, with an estimated speed of 100 kmph gusting at 130 kmph.
The system has moved further away from the Indian coast and is presently centred in the Arabian Sea, 750 km west/southwest of Mumbai. In the last 24 hours the system has been moving at a speed of 15 kmph and is likely to intensify further. But the storm needs to sustain winds of more than 118 kmph to be termed as a very severe cyclonic storm.
As reiterated by Skymet Meteorology Division in India the tropical cyclone will not pose any threat to the Indian coast as it will keep moving away towards Oman and Gulf of Eden. In fact weather models at Skymet suggest that the system is showing signs of weakening in the sea itself after intensifying in another 24 hours.
Mumbai will not receive any Monsoon rain unless the tropical cyclone doesn't loses its strength and dissipates into the sea which could take about another 36 hours. The city will receive good showers any time after 24 hours, intensity is likely to increase after 72 hours and Monsoon rain will continue for a week.
As Nanauk is controlling the monsoon current and keeping all the moisture under its grip, Monsoon is not extending beyond Konkan and Goa.
Why Nanauk is restricting Monsoon outburst
The Bay of Bengal is supposed to be more active during the onset phase of Monsoon and cyclonic storm in the Arabian Sea around this time is not a very common phenomenon. Any Monsoon activity over the Bay enhances the overall performance of Monsoon in India but the ones occurring in the Arabian Sea control the monsoon current and keeps all the moisture under its grip. They influence the wind pattern and obstruct the free flow of westerly currents, required for good Monsoon rain.
Systems developing in the Arabian Sea are punched with energy drawn from the Ocean and bring torrential rain over the peripheral of the system. Compensation of this energy takes time, thus, leading to a delay of the actual outburst of Monsoon in South India.
Monsoon rain in South India
Nevertheless, Monsoon showers continue in South India. Here’s a look at some rainfall figures in a span of 24 hours from 8.30 am on Wednesday:
Kerala- Kannur- 75 mm, Kochi 30 mm, Alappuzha 5.2 mm, Punalur 15 mm, Kottayam 17.8 mm, Kozhikode 17 mm, Thiruvananthapuram 8.6 mm.
Karnataka- Mangalore 63.1 mm, Punalur 56.2 mm and Karwar 16.8 mm. Goa also received 40 mm of rain while Agati in the Lakshadweep islands received 80.4 mm of rain on Wednesday.
The Monsoon surge in the Arabian Sea took its course just as predicted by Skymet and turned into the first tropical cyclone of the season. Skymet has been keeping its readers updated with the development of the system right from its inception to developing into a well-marked low pressure area, then intensifying into a depression and further into a deep depression. Finally it turned into the first tropical cyclone of the season on Tuesday and now to a severe cyclonic storm.
Weather alert for West Bengal issued at 15.35 hrs
Light to moderate rain/thundershowers are likely at some places in East Midnapore, South 24 Parganas and West Midnapore districts with strong winds ranging between 60 kmph and 80 kmph during the next 2 to 4 hours.
Weather alert for Punjab issued at 15.10 hrs
Light to moderate dust storm/thundershowers are likely at some places in Bathinda, Mansa and Sangrur districts of Punjab with strong winds ranging between 50 kmph and 70 kmph during the next 2 to 6 hours.
Weather alert for Rajasthan issued at 15.05 hrs
Light to moderate dust storm/thundershowers are likely at some places in Alwar, Bharatpur and Dholpur districts with strong winds ranging between 50 kmph and 80 kmph during the next 2 to 6 hours.
Weather alert for Uttar Pradesh issued at 14.55 hrs
In the next 2 to 6 hours, light to moderate dust storm/thundershowers are likely at some places in Agra, Aligarh, Baghpat, Bulandshahr, Etah, Gautam Buddha Nagar, Ghaziabad, Hapur, Hathras and Mathura districts of Uttar Pradesh. Rain will be accompanied by strong winds ranging between 60 kmph and 70 kmph.
Weather alert for Haryana issued at 14.50 hrs
Light to moderate Dust storm/thundershowers are likely at some places in Bhiwani, Fatehabad, Gurgaon, Hisar, Jhajjar, Jind, Kaithal, Karnal, Mahendragarh, Mewat, Rewari, Rohtak, Sirsa and Sonipat districts with strong winds ranging between 50 kmph and 70 kmph during the next 1 to 4 hours.
Weather alert for Delhi issued at 13.16 hrs
Light to moderate Dust storm/thundershowers are likely at some places in Delhi/NCR with strong average winds of 40 kmph gusting at 60 kmph during the next 1 to 2 hours.
Weather alert for Uttar Pradesh issued at 10.51 hrs
Light rain and thundershowers are likely at some places in Allahabad, Ambedkar Nagar, Azamgarh, Banda, Chitrakoot, Faizabad, Fatehpur, Gorakhpur, Hamirpur, Jaunpur, Kanpur Dehat, Kanpur Nagar, Kaushambi, Mahoba, Pratapgarh, Rae Bareli, Sant Ravidas Nagar and Sultanpur districts. Rain will be accompanied by average winds of 30 kmph gusting at 50 kmph during the next 2 to 6 hours.
Weather alert for Madhya Pradesh issued at 10.44 hrs
Light rain and thundershowers are likely at some places in Chhatarpur, Jabalpur, Katni, Panna, Rewa, Sagar, Satna and Ujjain districts with average winds of 30 kmph gusting at 50 kmph during the next 2 to 6 hours.
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The prevailing heat wave across North India has affected the end-season cotton planting, while Maharashtra and Gujarat have expressed concerns over the delay in progress of monsoon. Overall cotton acreage should increase by three-five per cent this year, though the yields will depend on rainfall, according to Cotton Association India.
In Bhutan, harvesting of the year 2014 minor winter season crops, mainly wheat, is currently underway and will continue until the end of July 2014. This year Bhutan`s wheat production forecast is slightly higher than in the year 2013, mainly due to the favourable weather during the growing season, according to Agriculture experts of the country.
In Cambodia, early planting of the 2014 main season paddy crop, accounting for almost 80 per cent of the annual production, is currently underway. Below average rains in the main rice producing areas are delaying field operations. The rice crop planted on 62117 hectares, about 23 per cent less than the area planted at the same time in 2013.
