SW monsoon has further advanced, says IMD

CHENNAI: Various parts of South India are undergoing continuous rainfall with the onset of monsoon and the delayed effects of the convection conditions according to the India Meteorological Department which has issued a rainfall and thunderstorm warning for the next few hours in certain states on Tuesday.

Tamil Nadu continued to experience moderate rainfall today in isolated areas like Tirupathur district, Vanniyambadi, Jolarpet, Ambur, and Alangayam, which has also caused waterlogging in low-lying areas. The district administration declared that Tirupathur schools would remain shut on Tuesday due to the rain conditions.

Isolated areas in Karnataka, Kerala, and Tamil Nadu experienced rainfall on June 20, causing waterlogging on the roads and even schools to be shut in some parts of Tamil Nadu.

This morning Karnataka saw sudden downpours in areas like Bengaluru.

Visuals from the city showed visuals of water collecting on the roads, and people trying to get cover as the rain lashed the city. India Meteorological Department had on Monday provided an update on the onset of monsoon in the country.

The Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into some more parts of Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Westcentral & Northwest Bay of Bengal; some parts of Gangetic West Bengal and Jharkhand some more parts of Bihar and remaining parts of Sub- Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim today, the 19th June, the IMD said. On Tuesday morning, IMD provided information on the convection currents in various parts of the country and issued a rainfall and thunderstorm warning for the next few hours.

"Recent Satellite Imagery shows moderate to intense convection over Tamil Nadu & adjoining areas of Rayalaseema, Kerala, Lakshadweep region, Eastern parts of Rajasthan, Northwest Madhya Pradesh adjoining south Uttar Pradesh, western parts of Assam and Arunachal Pradesh suggesting light to moderate spells of rainfall accompanied with Thunderstorms/gusty winds during next 3-4 hours", IMD said in a tweet.

Southwest Monsoon hit India on June 8 with its onset over Kerala, a week after the usual date of June 1. IMD, in May, had predicted the arrival of monsoon on June 4. Monsoon is crucial, especially for Kharif crops dependent on rains. Meanwhile, a recent IMD bulletin said heat wave/severe heatwave conditions are very likely to continue in some/isolated pockets over East Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Gangetic West Bengal, Jharkhand, Odisha, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Telangana until June 21 and abatement of heatwave conditions will continue thereafter.

Heatwave is a condition of air temperature which becomes fatal to the human body when exposed, according to IMD.

The heat wave is considered if the maximum temperature of a station reaches at least 40 degree Celsius or more for plains and at least 30 degree Celsius or more for hilly regions.

The Southwest Monsoon is in the process of resuming its trajectory post-Cyclone Biparjoy, which has been the longest storm in the Arabian Sea.

The delay in monsoon resulted in a rainfall deficit for some of the Southern states, and thus more rainfall is expected as the southwest monsoon continues to make its way across the states.