South-West monsoon expected to break Earlier

16 April 2013
Thiruvananthapuram

The South-West monsoon is expected to break over the Kerala coast two to three days earlier than usual, says P.V. Joseph, eminent monsoon meteorologist and researcher. He told that long-term mean date of onset of monsoon over Kerala was June 1. A cloud band with rain-bearing thunderclouds had formed over extreme South Bay of Bengal.This cloud band is called the ‘pre monsoon rain peak,’ which is an indicator of the date of onset of South-West monsoon over the Kerala coast.

The pre-monsoon rain peak is reached when surface temperature of seawater in the Bay of Bengal off India’s east coast rises about 35-40 days before the monsoon, and clouds near the Equator move north.Joseph said that last week’s average of sea surface temperature measurements obtained from Indian satellite Kalpana-1 as on April 15 had shown that the Central Bay of Bengal is ‘very warm.’Sea surface temperatures have measured to more than 30 degree Celsius, a pre-condition for the formation of the pre-monsoon rain peak.

This rain band would intensify to bring about the monsoon onset over Kerala. While doing so, it would also induce the formation of the low-level jet stream of monsoon, a current of strong south-westerly winds.

Source – http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/industry-and-economy/agri-biz/monsoon-may-break-earlier/article4623927.ece

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