The South-West monsoon has hit the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and parts of Bay of Bengal causing the first monsoon showers of the season. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) officials on Monday said that conditions are favourable due to its further advancement over remaining parts of Andaman sea along with other regions of South-East Bay of Bengal and adjoining areas during the next 48 hours.
According to the IMD sources, the upper air cyclonic circulation over South Andaman Sea and its neighbourhood is at present centred over Andaman Sea adjoining central Bay of Bengal.
While it has earlier predicted a slightly delayed monsoon to hit Kerala on June 5, the sources explained, “We will have to wait for both the branches — Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal — of the monsoon to be known to predict when it is likely to hit the states on the eastern coast including Odisha. However, experts are expecting the arrival of monsoon to hit the country in general between June 15 and 20 against the normal onset of June 10.
Predicting the situation for the next few days, the IMD sources predicted that the upper air cyclonic circulation over Andaman sea and adjoining central Bay of Bengal extending upto 5.8 km above mean sea level would persist. It would move nearly northwards during next 48 hours.The IMD has, however, said that heat wave conditions would prevail over the country at large including states as Bihar, West-Bengal and Odisha. However, Western disturbance is likely to affect western Himalayan region from May 22.
This is likely to result in rain and thundershowers in States over Western Himalayan region and at isolated places over adjoining plains of North-west India.Certain parts of North-Eastern States and isolates places of Eastern India may experience intermittent showers during the next few days. Weather would be mainly dry over rest of the country.