Progress of Monsoon in AP Slows With Low Activity Over the Seas

Visakhapatnam:The southwest monsoon, which reached Kerala on June 4 and Andhra Pradesh two days later, has gone sluggish due to the absence of low-pressure systems over the Bay of Bengal, according to IMD Amaravati senior scientist Dr S. Karunasagar.

Speaking to Deccan Chronicle on Thursday, he pointed out that persistent heat wave conditions and influence of El Niño, coupled with lack of weather systems over the Bay, have slowed the monsoon’s advance.

Dr Karunasagar said two upper-air cyclonic circulations are currently present — one over the west-central Bay of Bengal adjoining north coastal Andhra Pradesh and another over coastal Andhra Pradesh. However, both systems are unlikely to intensify into low-pressure areas.

Private weather forecaster Skymet said there are currently no significant storm systems over the Indian Ocean, Arabian Sea, or Bay of Bengal. It pointed out that the only active cyclones are near Cuba and Mexico. They too are expected to weaken.

According to Skymet, Indian seas have remained free of pre-monsoon storms this season, repeating last year’s pattern. The weather agency said the absence of low-pressure systems and depressions has affected the monsoon’s inland progress.

Skymet observed that the monsoon current has advanced more prominently along the western coastline while remaining weak over the interior regions of the southern peninsula. Weather activity over these areas has largely resembled pre-monsoon showers, rather than sustained monsoon rainfall.

Significantly, rainfall during the first eight days of June has remained deficient over Tamil Nadu, south interior Karnataka, Telangana and coastal Andhra Pradesh, Skymet said. The forecaster maintained that unless an active low-pressure area or depression develops over Bay of Bengal, the monsoon’s advance across the interior parts of southern and central India is likely to remain slow.