The first tropical cyclone of the season, ‘Nanauk’ in the Arabian Sea has moved further away from the India in a west/northwestward direction, centred at latitude 18.4°N and 62.9°E longitude at 00UTC. In the last 24 hours, the system has weakened from a severe cyclonic storm to a cyclonic storm. The system is presently centred in the Arabian Sea, 850 km west/southwest of Mumbai.
Skymet Meteorology Division in India explains that the Tropical storm did not intensify and move towards Oman as was expected; rather it lost strength due to colder sea surface temperature and high wind shield.
Weather models at Skymet suggest that the system will weaken further and lies as a feeble cyclonic circulation in the sea itself in another 48 hours. Meanwhile, the system will make its journey towards the Pakistan coastline close to Karachi and after weakening to a low pressure area by the fourth day, good rain is expected over the area including Saurashtra and Kutch.
Mumbai expecting good monsoon showers
Skymet has been reiterating that Mumbai will receive Monsoon rain just as the storm loses its strength and as was expected the city received late night and early morning showers with night temperature coming down to 26.7ºC. The system lost its grip over the monsoon current and with more free flow of westerly winds rain will gradually pick up from now on. Mumbai is likely to receive good Monsoon showers with the commencement of next week.
Monsoon System in Bay of Bengal
The Bay of Bengal is generally more active during the onset phase of Monsoon. Finally a system can be seen brewing up in the Sea in the form of a cyclonic circulation, with the manifestation of a large cloud mass hovering above the area.
This Monsoon activity along with weakening of Nanauk, performance of Monsoon across the country is expected to enhance.
Monsoon rain in South India
Monsoon showers over South India has picked up. Here’s a look at some rainfall figures in a span of 24 hours from 8.30 am on Thursday:
Kerala- Kozhikode 71.2 mm, Kannur- 69.4 mm, Kochi 29 mm, Alappuzha 15 mm, Punalur 11 mm, Kottayam 11.2 mm,.
Karnataka- Mangalore 74 mm and Karwar 81 mm. Madikeri in the interiors also received 11 mm of rain while, Goa received 17.5 mm of rain and Agati in the Lakshadweep islands received 10 mm of rain on Thursday.
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, then to a severe cyclonic storm and now will keep weakening.
