Monsoon has weakened: IMD

New Delhi, June 9 (UNI) People in north-west and central India are in for an extended dry spell as the southwest monsoon has weakened and is unlikely to revive over the next 8-10 days, the India Meteorological Department said today.

Farmers in most parts of Punjab, Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Rajasthan and other states in this belt would thus have to wait for a surge in the strength of southwesterly winds over north Indian ocean before they can set out sowing kharif crops.

''The advance of southwest monsoon ... is always accompanied with surges in the strength of southwesterly winds over north Indian ocean. In association with each surge, the rainfall activity gets revived and the rain belt shifts north and northwest,'' an IMD statement said, explaining the phenomenon.

''As per the synoptic situation and the forecast of several prediction models, southwest monsoon activity is not likely to get revived during next 8 to 10 days,'' it said.

Temperatures would rise with the maximum exceeding 40 degrees celsius in north-west and central India. Strong, dust raising winds could also be expected in this belt during this period, it said.

Monsoon activity had decreased considerably along the west coast of India after June three. Eastern parts of the country, however, received good rains till June 7.

The northern limit of the monsoon passed through Porbandar, Rajkot, Ahmedabad, Baroda, Pune, Sholapur, Hyderabad, Jagdalpur, Raigarh, Daltonganj and Raxaul on June 6 -- thus covering parts of South Gujarat in the West and the northeastern states, West Bengal, Orissa, Bihar and Jharkhand in the East of India.

The monsoon had hit the Kerala coast six days early this year on May 26. It advanced rapidly along the country's west coast and reached Mumbai on May 31, ten days ahead of the normal date.

The IMD said the advance of monsoon into different parts of the country, however, was never a systematic and regular feature. After each wet spell, a hiatus of 8 to 10 days takes place when rainfall activity gets subdued and the northward advance of monsoon also gets halted.

Though the monsoon had entered a weak phase, north-eastern states would continue to experience widespread rains, the IMD said.

UNI VN YA KN1739