The monsoon covered entire India on Sunday (29 June), nine days ahead of schedule, and heavy rains are likely in many parts of the country, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, bringing relief from oppressive heat, and boosting kharif sowing.
The timing and intensity of monsoon rains would significantly impact Kharif crops such as paddy, maize, oilseeds and pulses.
India’s farm sector is heavily dependent on the June-September southwest monsoon season, which delivers nearly 70% of the country’s annual precipitation and irrigates almost 50% of the net sown area. A good monsoon generally leads to higher crop yields and helps tamp down inflation.
This year, monsoon arrived in Kerala on 24 May, eight days before the usual onset date of 1 June, and its earliest since 2009.
In its latest update, the weather office said that monsoon has further advanced into remaining parts of Rajasthan, West Uttar Pradesh and Haryana and entire Delhi on Sunday.
It predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall likely to continue over many parts of northwest, central, east and northeast India over the next seven days. The IMD on Sunday issued a red alert for multiple regions including Odisha, Jharkhand, and Gangetic West Bengal and northwest India including Punjab, Haryana, west Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand where heavy to very Heavy rainfall is likely in the next 24 hours.
In northwestern region comprising western Himalayan region (Jammu-Kashmir-Ladakh-Gilgit-Baltistan-Muzaffarabad, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand), Punjab, Haryana-Chandigarh-Delhi; west Uttar Pradesh, east Uttar Pradesh, west Rajasthan and east Rajasthan, the IMD forecast of monsoon rain across many areas.
“Isolated heavy rainfall likely over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh and Rajasthan during 29 June-5 July,” the IMD said in a statement. It also predicted very heavy rainfall over Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, west Uttar Pradesh, east Uttar Pradesh and east Rajasthan during the next seven days. Also, light to moderate rainfall at many places accompanied with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds are likely over Northwest India during the period.
For east and central India, IMD forecast extremely heavy rainfall (>20cm/24 hours) at isolated places over Jharkhand and Odisha during 29-30 June. It also predicted heavy rainfall at isolated places over Jharkhand, Odisha, Bihar, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Vidarbha, Andaman and Nicobar Islands, sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, and Gangetic West Bengal during next seven days.
Also, very heavy rainfall is likely over Madhya Pradesh, Bihar, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha and Jharkhand during the next seven days.
In south Peninsular India, isolated heavy rainfall is likely over Kerala, coastal Karnataka and south Interior Karnataka during 29 June-5 July.
Flash flood warnings
The IMD has warned of moderate to high flash flood risk likely in districts such as Kangra, Kinnaur, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla and Sirmaur in Himachal Pradesh in the next 24 hours. In Uttarakhand, Almora, Bageshwar, Chamoli, Champawat, Dehradun, Haridwar, Nanital, Pauri Garhwal, Pithoragarh, Rudraprayag, Tehri Garwal, Udham Singh Nagar and Uttarkashi districts are likely to witness flash floods.
Warning for fishermen
Fishermen are advised to avoid venturing into the Arabian Sea including along and off Gujarat coast and Somalia coast and adjoining sea areas, most parts of north Arabian sea during 29 June-4 July. Also, they are advised not to venture into along and off north Andhra Pradesh, along and off Odisha coast, west Bengal coast during 29 June to 3 July.
Source:https://www.livemint.com/news/monsoon-heavy-rains-weather-imd-india-meteorological-department-kharif-paddy-11751194974891.html