Atypical monsoon pattern covers 80% of India
In an unusual meteorological event, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has reported that this year’s monsoon has covered 80% of the country. The southwest monsoon, which typically follows a set path across the country, has shown an atypical pattern this year, covering most parts of Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Delhi-NCR, and Haryana, and advancing to Gujarat, Haryana, and Punjab.
Dr. Naresh Kumar, a scientist with the IMD, revealed this information in a statement to NDTV on Monday, June 26, 2023.
He also predicted extremely heavy rainfall for Chhattisgarh and east Madhya Pradesh due to a low-pressure zone over northwest Odisha, which is expected to move in a west-northwest direction.
This unusual monsoon pattern has led to a significant meteorological event: for the first time in 62 years, the monsoon arrived in Delhi and Mumbai on the same day.
An IMD official noted that the last time this occurred was on June 21, 1961. This year, the monsoon clouds followed an unusual path, covering the country with a lag over several western states.
However, the heavy rainfall has also led to flood-like situations in several areas of the country. In Himachal Pradesh’s Mandi district, landslides triggered by the heavy rain have stranded hundreds of tourists and blocked the Chandigarh-Manali national highway. In Ramban, all schools up to class 10 have been closed due to the threat of flash floods caused by heavy rainfall.
References:
1 IMD discovers new weather pattern as monsoon covers 80% of India – The Hindustan Times – June 26, 2023
Featured image credit: EUMETSAT, Zoom Earth, The Watchers. Acquired at 12:33 UTC on June 28, 2023
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