North-East monsoon likely to set in by October 30: Weatherman

Speaking to reporters on Wednesday, S Balachandran, Director, Area Cyclone Warning Centre, RMC, said that with the gradual setting of north-easterlies along the east coast, conditions were favourable for withdrawal of southwest monsoon from the remaining parts of the country during the next three to four days. “Commencement of north-east monsoon rains over the southern parts of peninsular India is likely around October 30, 2016,” he said.

Balachandran also said that very recent satellite cloud images indicated that the cyclonic storm ‘Kyant’ presently lay centred over east-central Bay of Bengal and moved further west-southwards. The weather system was likely to slightly intensify further in the next 24 hours and move towards west-central Bay of Bengal during the next three days. The RMC has also warned fishermen from venturing into sea towards the Andhra Pradesh coastal boundary. 

Stating that the normal rainfall in Tamil Nadu would be 44 cm, Balachandran said this year, it would be reduced to 39 cm, a 10 percent deficit. “Monsoon would be moderate to strong over some parts of North Bay, most parts of Central Bay, North Andaman sea and generally moderate over South Bay and South Andaman sea,” he noted. 

Over the last 25 years, the north-east monsoon had set this late only on three occasions. In 1992 and 2000, the NE monsoon set on November 2 while last year, it had set on October 29.