New Delhi : Cyclonic storm Mora over east-central Bay of Bengal is likely to strengthen into a severe cyclone by Tuesday evening and may cause heavy rains in most parts of northeast India on Tuesday and Wednesday, the India Meteorological Department said on Monday.
The cyclone may push the monsoon current into southeast Arabian Sea, and more parts of Bay of Bengal by Tuesday morning, and to Kerala and northeastern states by May 30-31, the IMD said. Mora is likely to cross the Bangladesh coast around Tuesday morning, the weather bureau said.
As Mora advances, it will start hitting most parts of northeast India with moderate to heavy rains and heavier rainfall lashing the region in 24 hours, the weather bureau said in its 0800 IST release today. Cyclone Mora has already caused heavy rains in Sri Lanka, leading to floods and landslides that killed more than 150 people, media reports said.
The cyclonic storm is seen moving away from the island, but cloudy skies with windy and showery conditions are expected over the country during next 24 hours, Sri Lanka’s Department of Meteorology said.
The southwest monsoon had reached Sri Lanka on May 25, the usual date for the onset of monsoon over the island nation.Further, strengthening of westerlies and a northward shift of the “shear zone” are also likely to contribute to the advancement of monsoon currents over southern Kerala by May 30-31, IMD said.
Earlier this month, the department had forecast that the monsoon currents were likely to reach the Indian mainland on May 30, two days ahead of the normal onset date of Jun 1. The weather department had forecast that this year, the Jun-Sep monsoon rains over the country would be at 96% of the long-period average.
IMD Director General K.J. Ramesh had said prospects of normal monsoon rains across the country had improved. –Cogencis
