Monsoon update: Heavy rain batters west coast, fishermen advised not to venture into high seas

The state of Maharashtra, particularly the coastal parts have seen some intense showers in the past 24 hours, as Monsoon 2018 has made an onset over most parts of Maharashtra.

The IMD's bulletin on Monday predicted that the Northern Limit of Monsoon (NLM) continues to pass through Thane (including Mumbai), Ahmednagar, Parbhani, Yeotmal, Brahmapuri, Rajnandgaon, Bhavanipatna, Puri, Agartala, Lumding and North Lakhimpur.

''Conditions are becoming favorable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon into some more parts of Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, some parts of West Bengal & Sikkim, remaining parts of northwest Bay of Bengal and Northeastern States during next 48 hours. Conditions are likely to become favorable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon into some more parts of West Bengal, Odisha and some parts of Jharkhand and Bihar during the subsequent 48 hours,'' it added.

These conditions can be attributed to the low pressure area that has concentrated into a Depression and lies over northeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining Bangladesh. It is very likely to move north­northwestwards and cross Bangladesh coasts south of Feni around midnight on Sunday, i.e 10th June 2018. The associated cyclonic circulation extending up to 7.6 km above mean sea level also persists.

According to the IMD's prediction on distribution of rainfall this monsoon, "Heavy to very heavy rain" was recorded at a few places over coastal Karnataka and south Konkan and Goa while "heavy to very heavy rain" was recorded at isolated places in north Konkan, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, central Maharashtra, south-interior Karnataka and Kerala." The Met department also predicted "heavy to very heavy rain" at a few places in coastal Karnataka, Konkan, Goa, Assam, Meghalaya, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Odisha and Kerala.

"Thunderstorm accompanied with gusty winds and lightning are very likely at isolated places over east Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and Jharkhand while heat wave conditions very likely at one or two pockets over west Rajasthan," the IMD said. Squalls gusting to 60 kmph are very likely along Odisha and West Bengal coasts and over north Bay of Bengal. Squalls gusting to 60 kmph are very likely along Odisha and West Bengal coasts and over north Bay of Bengal. Sea conditions are likely to be "rough to very rough", it said, advising fishermen not to venture into the waters.