A six-day delay in the monsoon onset has been reported by the Met Department. The date for the onset of monsoon was speculated to be the June 1st and this delay of the rainy showers will surely be a source of disappointment for the places which have been hit by drought.
Monsoon delay for about 6 days has been announced formally and the India Meteorological Department has given a statement about the forecast saying “Forecast suggests that monsoon onset over Kerala this year is likely to be slightly delayed. The Southwest monsoon is likely to set over Kerala on 7 June with a model error of plus or minus four days.”
The official date had been declared as June 1st in Kerela, but the delay is going to be bad news for the country. There is an intense heat wave travelling the region and many are parched for that cool drop of water. Drought has hit almost 256 districts in the country and almost 330 million people are suffering because of the scarcity of water. This information was revealed by the Government to the Supreme Court and the sad fact is that many people have succumbed to death because of dehydration and sunstroke.
Till 2015, whatever prediction has been made by the MET department in the last 11 years, regarding the monsoon shower has come true. There is an error margin of about 4 days here and there in the predictions but the showers normally bless the parched area but this year the concern still remains.
According to the Laxman Singh Rathore, IMD Director General, the monsoon onset delay is not “unusual” and it has been noticed in the past as well, but rainfall is welcome in Kerela and other South Indian states to provide some respite from the scorching heat. Rathore has further claimed “Currently there is a low pressure area in the Bay of Bengal, which will become a depression and hit Tamil Nadu coast by tonight. This will bring good amount of rainfall to the state, parts of South Interior Karnataka and parts of Kerala.”
Deputy director general (climate division),S Pai, from Pune IMD has also stated “…We cannot rule out the possibility of a depression forming in the Bay of Bengal which will help monsoon to set over south Andaman Sea around May 17 and over north Andaman Sea on May 20. This will cause increased rainfall activity in the southern peninsula.”
The IMD has speculated that this time the showers of monsoon will be “above normal”.
