'O Barsoo Re…': Southwest monsoon misses date with Andhra Pradesh

Vijayawada : Southwest monsoon has missed the date with Andhra Pradesh this year. This is the season's first lag in the progress of the Monsoon. Last year, the Southwest monsoon arrived in Andhra Pradesh on June 5 and covered the entire state within a few days.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the normal date for monsoon over Kerala was June 1. It was scheduled to arrive in Andhra Pradesh around June 5. But this season, the monsoon's progress has started lagging. Andhra Pradesh has yet to receive the season's first showers. Though the southwest monsoon set in over Kerala on May 29, three days ahead of schedule, the lack of strong currents and a few other factors were the reasons for the delay in rains over Andhra Pradesh.

It may be recalled that the Southwest Monsoon had covered the entire Andhra Pradesh on June 10 in 2021, five days after it had arrived over the Rayalaseema region of the state.

Andhra Pradesh recorded a total of 613.3 mm of rainfall between June 1 and September 30 in 2021, which is around 19 percent more than the normal of 514 mm. In 2020, Andhra Pradesh recorded a total of 738.2 mm of rainfall between June 1 and September 30, which is around 44 percent more than the normal 514 mm.

IMD-Amaravati said the Arabian Sea branch of the southwest monsoon has remained weak and there have not been any supportive westerly winds supporting its advance. Karuna Sagar, the scientist at IMD-Amaravati, said the rainfall activity over Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu and the strengthening of the westerly winds will push the monsoon activity. "The conditions are favorable for further advance of monsoon in some more parts of central Arabian Sea, Goa, south Maharashtra, some parts of Karnataka, remaining parts of Tamil Nadu, some parts of South Andhra Pradesh, and some more parts of west-central and northwest Bay of Bengal by Sunday," he added.

The conditions would continue to become favorable for further advance of monsoon into more parts of Maharashtra, entire Karnataka, more parts of Andhra Pradesh, and more parts of west-central and northwest Bay of Bengal by Tuesday. The weathermen predicted that the monsoon is expected to hit Andhra Pradesh around or after June 12.