Blitz Bureau
NEW DELHI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has reported a significant delay in the advancement of the Southwest Monsoon across Maharashtra, even as parts of the state received initial rains earlier this month.
The monsoon made its entry into South Konkan and adjoining areas of South Madhya Maharashtra on June 8, but progress has since remained stalled for several days due to unfavourable large-scale atmospheric conditions.
According to the Regional Meteorological Centre in Mumbai, the Northern Limit of Monsoon (NLM) currently passes through Harnai, Solapur, Hyderabad, Bhadrachalam, Koraput, Phulbani, Ranchi, Jamui and Muzaffarpur.
While the monsoon has progressed in southern pockets, the remaining parts of the state continue to wait for its full onset.
IMD officials have attributed the slowdown to multiple meteorological factors. The current monsoon flow lacks a strong surge from the Arabian Sea, which is typically crucial for enhanced moisture incursion and widespread rainfall.
Low-level southwesterly winds associated with monsoon circulation have weakened over the Arabian Sea, leading to reduced moisture transport towards the Maharashtra coast and interior regions.
Additionally, the cross-equatorial flow over the western Indian Ocean and Arabian Sea — a vital moisture source for the southwest monsoon — has also weakened in recent days.
The absence of significant weather systems, such as low-pressure areas, cyclonic circulations over the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, or a sufficiently intense offshore trough along the west coast, has further hindered advancement.
