 |
|
Sluggish Monsoon Progress, Heatwaves to Continue for Next Few Days Over North India
The southwest monsoon's progress has been sluggish, leading to delayed rainfall and persistent heatwaves across several parts of North India. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported that the monsoon currently covers large portions of Maharashtra but requires a fresh impetus to advance further into central and northern India.
Heatwave conditions were observed in most parts of Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, Jharkhand, and north Rajasthan on Wednesday. Severe heatwave conditions were also reported in isolated pockets of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Jharkhand, and Gangetic West Bengal.
The maximum temperatures soared between 45-47 degrees Celsius in several areas, including west Jharkhand, south Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, Punjab, and north Rajasthan. The highest maximum temperature of 47.5 degrees was recorded at Kanpur IAF in eastern Uttar Pradesh.
Monsoon watchers attributed the prolonged hot weather conditions to the dominance of warm winds from the northwest, which have weakened the monsoon pulse over the Bay of Bengal.
Former Earth Sciences secretary, Madhavan Rajeevan, stated that the monsoon's progress has entered a hiatus mode after an initial normal pace. He anticipated minimal progress in the next 8-10 days, postponing the monsoon's onset over northern India, including Delhi, Uttar Pradesh, and Bihar.
The IMD predicts the monsoon to reach Bihar and Jharkhand between June 16-18, Uttar Pradesh between June 20-30, and Delhi around June 27, which aligns with the normal onset date for the national capital.
Source: Monsoon progress sluggish, heatwaves to continue for next few days over north India