Monsoon revival near; could cover rest of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi by Thursday

The southwest monsoon likely to gradually revive gradually over the south peninsula, including the west coast and adjoining eastcentral India, from Wednesday, according to the India Meteorological Department’s numerical weather prediction model guidance.Moisture carrying easterly winds in lower levels from the Bay of Bengal are likely to establish gradually over parts of eastern India from Thursday. It is likely to spread into northwest India and cover Punjab and north Haryana by Saturday.

The Met department said the southwest monsoon could advance over the remaining parts of west Uttar Pradesh, some more parts of Punjab, Haryana, and Rajasthan and Delhi around Saturday. The weather system is very likely to increase rainfall activity over northwest & central India from Saturday.

In its forecast for July, the weather bureau had said India as a whole would witness good rainfall. However, rainfall in some parts of north India, south peninsula, central, east and northeast India could be normal to below normal, the Met department has said. The lack of a weather system made it unfavourable for the monsoon current to progress today. The northern limit of southwest monsoon is currently passing through Aligarh, Meerut, Ambala, and Amritsar, the IMD had said.

Rainfall in India is expected to be 101% of the long-term average this year, the Met department has said, while upgrading its previous forecast. It sees the monsoon being well distributed, and said most parts of India would receive average to above-average rainfall in 2021.