Tropical cyclone Mahasen has turned weather conditions conducive for the arrival of southwest monsoon in the Andaman & Nicobar Islands, country’s farthest outpost in extreme southeast Bay of Bengal during the next two to three days. Cyclone related thunder squalls (rain with strong squally winds) are expected at many places in east and northeast India. South India could also face some of these thunder squalls during the next 24 hours. Dry and hot weather conditions would continue to prevail in north and northwest plains during the period.
The flow of winds over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands has been southwesterly for last few days and similar wind conditions will be witnessed in coming two to three days while rain will continue during the period too. This rain and wind condition indicates that weather has turned favourable for southwest monsoon in these Islands.
According to Mahesh Palawat, head of forecasting at Skymet Weather, “Continuous rain for five days with wind flow from southwest is what determines the announcement of arrival of monsoon and since it has been raining in Andaman & Nicobar Islands for past few days and more rain is expected in next two to three days under the influence of the cyclone Mahasen with wind flow from southwest, the announcement of arrival of monsoon is on the cards soon”.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands normally receive first monsoon showers between 15th and 20th of May and going by the prevailing weather conditions, monsoon is set to arrive two to three days earlier this year. “ The date for arrival of monsoon in north Andaman is 20th of May and the present conditions indicate that it could get the first monsoon rain by 18th of May hence it’ll arrive two to three days before,'' added Palawat.
Cyclone Mahasen related thunder squalls with convective clouds and strong squally winds could occur first at the southeast coast of Andhra Pradesh and Tamil Nadu during the next 24 hours and then in east and northeast thereafter, when the weather system comes closer in the north Bay of Bengal.
Rain will reduce further in Jammu & Kashmir and the weather will remain dry in most of the parts of north, northwest and central India. These regions are set for further rise in temperatures in coming two to three days. Temperatures in Delhi will rise above average of 39.5 degrees during the next two days and gradual rise is possible thereafter in the capital.
