CityweliveThe southwest monsoon, which has been delayed by nearly a month, is likely to advance over the remaining parts of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan between July 10 and 12, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD).
Except for Ludhiana and Kapurthala, which have recorded normal rainfall so far, the delayed monsoon has resulted in rainfall deficits of up to 99 percent across the remaining 20 districts of Punjab, the IMD has confirmed.
In a status report on the monsoon and rainfall forecast for Punjab submitted to Chief Secretary Vini Mahajan, the Director General of Meteorology, Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, stated that the southwest monsoon had reached parts of northern Punjab (including Pathankot, Gurdaspur, Hoshiarpur, Ropar, and Mohali) and Haryana on June 13. However, no further progress had occurred in either state up to July 7.
“Due to the influence of stronger mid-latitude dry continental westerly winds, the monsoon has remained weak, resulting in subdued rainfall, particularly from June 25 to July 6. The first half of June witnessed above-normal rainfall, which declined thereafter. Nevertheless, scattered rainfall was observed on a few occasions during this period,” Dr. Mohapatra explained.
Providing the weather forecast for the next 10 days, the IMD chief noted that, according to the latest numerical weather prediction model, moist easterly winds at the lower levels from the Bay of Bengal are expected to spread into northwest India, including Punjab and northern Haryana, by July 10.
“Consequently, the southwest monsoon is expected to advance over the remaining parts of Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, western Uttar Pradesh, and Rajasthan between July 10 and 12,” he added.
Dr. Mohapatra further stated that subdued rainfall activity is expected to continue across Punjab until July 9. However, isolated thunderstorms are also likely during this period.
“Monsoon activity is expected to revive from the night of July 9, bringing rainfall to many areas of the state. Rainfall intensity is likely to increase between July 11 and 12, with moderate showers in many places and isolated instances of heavy rainfall. Between July 11 and 16, all districts of Punjab are forecasted to receive cumulative rainfall of approximately 50 to 70 mm,” the IMD Director General noted.
The report was submitted following a discussion between the Chief Secretary and the Secretary of the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) regarding the current monsoon status and its forecast for Punjab.
The ongoing dry spell has led to a severe power crisis in the agrarian state, with demand reaching record highs and consumers suffering from frequent outages.
