The Meteorological centre has finally declared the onset of monsoon in Uttarakhand on Tuesday. The declaration came after Dehradun and other parts of the state received rainfall in the morning. Around 24 mm rainfall was reported in Dehradun on Tuesday, something that heralded the monsoon, said the weathermen.
The Meteorological centre director Bikram Singh said that the Southwest monsoon has advanced into most parts of Uttarakhand on Tuesday. Heavy rain has been forecast for many places in Udham Singh Nagar, Champawat, Pithoragarh, Nainital, Pauri, Haridwar and Dehradun districts in the next 24 hours.
Singh said that Indian Meteorological Department, New Delhi has also declared arrival of monsoon in Uttarakhand, based on certain parameters that differentiate the pre-monsoon rain from the monsoon rain.
Singh further said that unlike last year, the state would receive normal rainfall this year, a news that must gladden those reeling under the drought-like condition in many parts of the state. The common people are happy too, experiencing the maiden monsoon rain.
The maximum and minimum temperatures were reported to be a few notches below the normal to the relief of the people who suffered a long spell of searing summer heat and tortuous humidity.
Informing that the expected normal volume of rain would be good for horticulture and agriculture, he said that things would be far better than what obtained last year. He further said that the monsoon has arrived this year a day before the scheduled time of arrival. Notably, the monsoon in the state had arrived on June 24, 2015 while it was July 1 in 2014.
He said they had issued advisory in view of the heavy rainfall warning for a fairly large part of the state in the coming two days. He asked the people to postpone their yatra for the mountainous regions. He warned that landslides are likely in the hills.
Singh further said that the state had received a good measure of pre-monsoon showers (March to June 20) due to western disturbances and other local reasons till Tuesday.
The weather forecast for Wednesday in Dehradun is generally cloudy sky and few spells of light to moderate rain/thunderstorm in some areas. The maximum and minimum temperatures are likely to be hovering around 31ºC and 25ºC respectively in Dehradun on Wednesday. The weather forecast for Uttarakhand on Wednesday is light to moderate rain/thunderstorm at many places in the state.
Singh informed that the maximum and minimum temperatures were recorded at 30.7ºC Celsius and 24.6º Celsius in Dehradun while it was 18.2ºC and 15.8ºC in Mukteshwar, 23.0ºC and 18.2ºC in Tehri, 27.8ºC and 27.0ºC in Pantnagar on Tuesday.
Over the past 24 hours by 8.30 am on Tuesday, rainfall was reported at few places in the state. While 13 mm rainfall was reported in Dehradun it was 1 mm in Gairsain 9.1 mm in Joshimath, 27.0 mm in Munsiyari, 3.2 mm in Pithoragarh, 12.0 mm in Matela, 4.2 mm in Mukteshwar and 9.2 mm in Nainital.