Weather Update: Depression Over Arabian Sea Likely To Intensify Into Cyclonic Storm

Published: Tuesday, June 6, 2023, 12:24 [IST]

The India Meteorological Department on Tuesday said that a depression over the southeast Arabian Sea, south of Porbandar in Gujarat, is likely to move northwestward and intensify into a cyclonic storm.

The IMD, in its latest bulletin, said that the depression lay about 920 km west-southwest of Goa, 1,120 km south-southwest of Mumbai, 1,160 km south of Porbandar, and 1,520 km south of Karachi, Pakistan, at 5:30 am.

Weather Update: Depression Over Arabian Sea Likely To Intensify Into Cyclonic Storm

"It is likely to move nearly northwards and intensify into a cyclonic storm during the next 24 hours over east-central Arabian Sea and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea," the weather department said.

On Monday, the IMD predicted that the formation of the low-pressure system over the southeast Arabian Sea and its intensification is expected to critically influence the advance of the monsoon towards the Kerala coast.

However, the IMD did not give an exact date for the arrival of the monsoon in Kerala.

In India, Monsoon usually happens on June 8 or June 9 but it is expected to be a meek and mild entry, according to private forecasting agency Skymet Weather.

"These powerful weather systems in the Arabian Sea spoil the advancement of the monsoon deep inland. Under their influence, the monsoon stream may reach coastal parts but will struggle to penetrate beyond the Western Ghats," it said.

Earlier, Skymet had said that the monsoon onset over Kerala on June 7 with an error margin of three days.

"The southwest monsoon is likely to arrive within this bracket. Onset criteria require stipulated rainfall on two consecutive days over Lakshadweep, Kerala, and coastal Karnataka. Accordingly, the spread and intensity of rainfall may match these requirements on June 8 or June 9. However, the onset of the annual event may not be loud and sound. It may only make a meek and mild entry to start with," the private weather forecasting agency said.

The southwest monsoon normally sets in over Kerala on June 1 with a standard deviation of about seven days. In mid-May, the weather department said the monsoon might arrive in Kerala by June 4.