Monsoon updates: SW monsoon advances towards central India

The Southwestern Monsoon continues to advance northwards and would soon cover central India, IMD bulletin said. Conditions have become favourable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon over remaining parts of Assam, some more parts of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal and some parts of South Gujarat region, Jharkhand, Bihar and Madhya Pradesh between 23rd to 25th June.

"The monsoon circulation is likely to improve from around 24th June with (i) expected movement of active phase of Madden Julian Oscillation (MJO) to west Equatorial Indian Ocean & adjoining Arabian Sea during next 2­3 days and (ii) development of cyclonic circulations over eastern India leading to strengthening of easterlies winds over Gangetic plains. Thus, Thunderstorm observed at isolated places over Jammu Kashmir, Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Assam & Meghalaya, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Kerala and a few places over Gangetic West Bengal, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Maharashtra & Odisha from 1130 hours to 1730 hours IST of today," IMD's latest update said.

Cyclonic circulations are also likely to develop over east India, which will strengthen the easterlies over the Gangetic plains.

On Thursday, it was a cloudy morning in the national capital on Thursday, with the minimum temperature recorded at 30.9 degrees Celsius, three notches above the season's average, the Met office said.

According to the IMD's prediction on distribution of rainfall this monsoon, the central India will get 'normal' rainfall but the southern Peninsula - Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Puducherry - may get 'below normal' rainfall.

The north-east India is expected to get least rainfall (below normal) during the period. The monthly rainfall over the country as whole is likely to be 101% of its Long Period Average (LPA) during July, and 94% of the LPA during August - both with a model error of plus or minus 9%.

Anything between 90%-96% of the LPA is considered "below normal" while rainfall in the range of 96%-104% of the LPA is considered "normal." Also, rainfall is considered "deficient" if it ranges below 90% of the LPA, and "above normal" if it falls between 104%-110% cent of the LPA. Above 110% of the LPA is considered "excess" rainfall.