Formation of low-pressure system may influence advance of monsoon to Kerala: IMD

A cyclonic circulation which is set to develop into a lowpressure area over the southeast Arabian Sea and intensify in the next two days is expected to critically influence the advance of the monsoon towards the Kerala coast the India Meteorological Department IMD said on MondayThe weather department however did not give a tentative date for the arrival of the monsoon in Kerala reported news agency PTIWesterly winds over the south Arabian Sea continue to prevail up to 21 km above mean sea level However because of a cyclonic circulation over the southeast Arabian Sea the cloud mass is more organized and concentrated over the same area and there has been some reduction of clouds off the Kerala coast in the last 24 hours Also under the influence of this cyclonic circulation a lowpressure area is very likely to form over the same region during the next 24 hours It is likely to move nearly northwards and intensify into a depression over the southeast and adjoining east central Arabian Sea during the subsequent 48 hours the IMD said reported PTIThe formation and intensification of this system and its near northward movement are likely to critically influence the advance of the southwest monsoon towards the Kerala coast the IMD saidThe southwest monsoon normally sets in over Kerala on June 1 with a standard deviation of about seven days In midMay the India Meteorological Department IMD said monsoon might arrive in Kerala by June 4The southeast monsoon arrived in the southern state on May 29 last year June 3 in 2021 June 1 in 2020 June 8 in 2019 and May 29 in 2018India is expected to get normal rainfall during the southwest monsoon season despite the evolving El Nino conditions the IMD had earlier saidNorthwest India is expected to see normal to belownormal rainfall East and northeast central and south peninsula are expected to receive normal rainfall at 94106 per cent of the longperiod average of 87 centimetresAccording to the IMD rainfall between 96 and 104 per cent of a 50year average of 87 cm is considered normal Rainfall less than 90 per cent of the longperiod average is considered deficient between 90 per cent and 95 per cent is below normal between 105 per cent and 110 per cent is above normal and more than 100 per cent is excess precipitationNormal rainfall is critical for Indias agricultural landscape with 52 per cent of the net cultivated area relying on it It is also crucial for the replenishing of reservoirs critical for drinking water apart from power generation across the countryRainfed agriculture accounts for about 40 per cent of the countrys total food production making it a crucial contributor to Indias food security and economic stabilityWith inputs from PTI