The Monsoon surge in the Arabian Sea has strengthened further and is likely to turn into a tropical cyclone, but is expected to remain over deep waters. The system is presently centred in the Arabian Sea, 500 km away from Karwar in the Karnataka coast and 550 km southwest of Mumbai. The system will be tracking north-northwestward initially and later northwestward, towards Oman and gulf of Eden. While taking the track it will strengthen having gusty winds of almost 150 kmph.
Though the system will not come much closer to the coast, it is quite capable of enhancing Southwest Monsoon over the Western Ghats. Under the influence of the system, rain will pick up in Mumbai, Konkan and Goa as well. This Monsoon surge may also help Southwest Monsoon to reach faster in the Maharashtra coast.
Rain in South India was widespread on Monday. Here’s a look at some rainfall figures in a span of 24 hours from 8.30 am on Monday:
Kerala- Alappuzha 24.6 mm, Punalur 20 mm, Kottayam 16 mm, Kozhikode 14.6 mm, Thiruvananthapuram 8.8 mm and Kochi 10.7 mm.
Other places like Aurangabad received 58 mm, Pune 4 mm, Port Blair 16 mm of rain, Minicoy 3 mm, Amini Divi 22 mm, Goa 5 mm, Ratnagiri 0.7 mm, Karwar 2.9 mm and Mangalore 10.2 mm.
Monsoon systems, like the one in the Arabian Sea, possess fundamental role, particularly during the initial days of the onset of Monsoon in India. This present system is outward bound and will reduce rain in South India. Such weather phenomenon initially brings sufficient rain but takes away all the energy from the area, leaving a long gap before another system brews up.
Whether in the Arabian Sea or the South China Sea, the system mops up all the moisture and carries it away from the Indian coast. The effects of such systems can be offset only if there is a strong system in the Bay of Bengal. On the other hand, systems that come up in the Bay of Bengal holds moisture and drifts them towards the eastern coast.