Monsoon may break over Kerala coast in a day or two, says IMD

2023-06-07 06:50:02

The South-West monsoon may break over the Kerala coast in the next two days after India Meteorological Department (IMD) assessed conditions as turning favourable.

The westerly winds are persistent and have risen to the required heights in the atmosphere. Cloudiness is enhanced over the South-East Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep as well as along the Kerala coast.

Advance in the Bay of Bengal too

These conditions will enable the monsoon to make an advance into some more parts of the South Arabian Sea, the entire Lakshadweep area, Maldives, and the Comorin area.

Simultaneously, its Bay of Bengal arm will cover more parts South-West and Central Bay of Bengal and some more parts of the North-East Bay, apart from entering parts of the North-Eastern States.

Also read: IMD defers call on monsoon onset over Kerala

Clouds off Kerala coast

At noon on Wednesday, dense clouds waited just off the Kerala coast while some were spotted at a distance from Mangaluru in Coastal Karnataka.

Leading weather watchers assessed the monsoon flows may be breaking free of severe cyclone Biparjoy over the South-East Arabian Sea, and charting their own course along an independent track to facilitate the onset over Kerala.

Also read: Pacific storm Rose calls the shots, as monsoon stalls briefly again

Very severe cyclone likely

The fast-intensifying Biparjoy was located about 880 km West-South-West of Goa; 990 km South-West of Mumbai; 1,060 km South-South-West of Porbandar, Gujarat; and 1,360 km South of Karachi in Pakistan.

The IMD expects it to intensify as a very severe cyclonic storm, the second after Mocha in the Bay of Bengal, by Tuesday night, beating earlier forecasts.

Expected track

The powerful cyclone is expected to move nearly northwards until Thursday morning and then to the North-North-West (away from India’s West Coast) during the subsequent three days.

Some forecast agencies suspected the system may be dragged back North-North-East towards South-East Pakistan (Karachi) and adjoining North Gujarat or South-West Rajasthan in due course.