Arrival of monsoon has been disproportionately delayed over the capital city of Kolkata. As per the schedule, monsoon arrival over Mumbai and Kolkata is simultaneous. While the monsoon arrived over Mumbai, a little before time, it overshot the due date of 10th June for Kolkata, this season. The northern limit of the monsoon, as of now, passes through Navsari on the West Coast, the Kalahandi region of Odisha on the eastern side and skirts around the Gangetic West Bengal. From Bangladesh, it reenters India and passes through Malda, Bhagalpur and last point Raxaul.
Under normal circumstances, the monsoon covers the entire state of West Bengal by the 15th of June. It covers the complete state of Bihar and enters Uttar Pradesh before 20th June. After the initial advancement over the entire northeastern region on 30th May 2024, the monsoon current is nearly stuck at the same place over Sikkim and Sub Himalayan West Bengal. The western arm of the monsoon has also stagnated over South Gujrat at Navsari for the last about 10 days.
The slump in the monsoon has left the northern plains of the country reeling under scorching heat, inordinately. Record temperatures have battered the region with historic records and unprecedented prolonged heat waves. The day temperature has crossed 45°C, almost at all places over North India and also has the distinction of breaching 50°C at a few places. With undue delay of monsoon, the eastern states, inclusive of West Bengal has witnessed searing heat in the month of June.
The Capital city Kolkata has been awaiting the onset of monsoon and decent monsoon bursts for a fairly long. Even the pre-monsoon activity remained sub-par in the month of May. The city has been a rain deficit by a huge margin of 97% in the month of June. The regional observatory has recorded rainfall of just 4.5mm against the normal of 167.7mm, between 01st and 20th June. Even, the sister cities of Hooghly and Howrah have a huge shortfall, in excess of 80% rainfall.
Conditions are becoming favourable for the advance of monsoon over Gangetic West Bengal. A cyclonic circulation over the tri-junction of Odisha, Jharkhand and Chhattisgarh has formed. This system will shift further westward and cover a broad area. Under its influence, moisture-laden southerly winds from the Bay of Bengal will sweep the Gangetic West Bengal. Pre-monsoon showers are likely for the city over the next 3 days, as a precursor to the arrival of monsoon. As the monsoon trough strengthens over the next 3 days, the monsoon will advance over the city on around 24th/25th June. Pre-monsoon showers over the next 3 days will be followed by the monsoon bursts. The intensity and spread of the monsoon showers will increase towards the last days of June.
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