The India Meteorological Department (IMD) may have announced the onset of monsoon in Kerala on May 30 this year, but seasonal rainfall may arrive a day before.
Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) Secretary M Rajeevan said the conditions look favourable for arrival of monsoon before the announced date.
“The announced onset date for monsoon is May 30, but there is a possibility that it may hit Kerala a day before that,” said Rajeevan. The normal date of onset of monsoon over Kerala is June 1, which marks arrival of seasonal rainfall in the country.
With chances of El Nino, a phenomena associated with warming of Pacific waters, the IMD has predicted a normal monsoon this year.
Rajeevan said the Ministry will also undertake a programme starting this monsoon to study the viability of cloud seeding.
He was speaking at an event organised to publicise the Ministry’s achievements since the NDA Government came to power in 2014. MoES Minister Harsh Vardhan and his deputy YS Chowdary were also present at the event.
The programme will be carried out using two research aircrafts. One plane would be undertaking the exercise of cloud seeding while another aircraft would take samples to study its viability. Solapur district in Maharashtra has been chosen to conduct the research.
“We intend to take 200 samples that can help us understand how effective the concept of cloud seeding is. The programme will be carried over a period of three years,” he said. Several states like Kerala have also been conducting research on cloud seeding.
Moderate rain in Capital increased humidity level
Humidity level in Delhi air has shot up after the moderate rain. While the wind speed is recorded at 11 KM per hour, the maximum temperature at Safdarjung observatory was recorded at 29.4 degree, 11 notches below to normal. There are predictions of light rain and thunderstorm due to western disturbances on Wednesday.
City people enjoyed pleasant weather for past two days, however, the humidity has carted uneasiness. On Tuesday morning, the sky was partially clouded and there were the possibilities of light spells.
Notably, Officials of IMD has predicted moderate rain in city for the next three consecutive days after the first pre-monsoon shower on Sunday evening. A private weather forecast company, Skymet in its forecast has said that the Western Disturbance is moving away but will continue to give scattered rains over Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.
However, weather of Northwest Plains will become dry. Although, isolated dust storm and thunderstorm is possible over Rajasthan. Delhi will remain dry and hot with increasing temperatures will once again rise further.”
Meanwhile, Met in weekly weather forecast has explained that maximum temperature will fluctuate between 38 degree Celsius and 40 degree Celsius. And minimum temperature will remain at 27 degree Celsius.
There is the possibility of rain on May 29.