After rushing in a week ahead of schedule on the Kerala coast and progressing rapidly till Monday, the monsoon has applied the brakes with Cyclone Aila weakening the pressure.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Wednesday there had been no advance for the past two days.
“The cyclone has affected the weather conditions needed for further advent of the monsoon,” said RV Sharma, deputy director-general of the regional met office in Mumbai. “Usually when a cyclone hits the Bay of Bengal, a drop in the atmospheric energy on the Arabian Sea is observed. This could affect monsoon activity in Maharashtra.”
The rains reached Kerala on May 23, ahead of its usual June 1 date. It hit the Mangalore coast in South Karnataka on May 25. Rains usually arrive in Mumbai a week after Mangalore. But it will be at least a couple of days before any forecast can be made about rains in the city.
However, rains have been forecast over the west coast beginning this weekend. Southwesterly flows are forecast to extend coverage along the west coast. This phase (May 30-June 5) could bring rains into Mumbai. Monsoon usually arrives in the city on June 10.
