Monsoon has advanced slightly ahead of time into South Gujarat and parts of Central India after leaving Mumbai flooded following two days of incessant rain.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) has warned that ahead of the onset of monsoon , thunderstorms and frequent cloud to ground lightning are likely over Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Bengal, Jharkhand and Bihar during the next two days.

On Thursday, the northern limit of the monsoon passed through South Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh and Chhattisgarh ahead of time while it lagged in Odisha and West Bengal. But this would be compensated with the formation of a low-pressure area over North-West Bengal by Friday as predicted by the IMD.

Northern limit of monsoon

The monsoon advanced into more parts of South Gujarat region; remaining Maharashtra, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh; parts of South Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and South Odisha on Thursday. The northern limit linked Surat, Nandurbar , Betul, Mandla, Bilaspur, Bolangir, Puri and Baghdogra.

The 24 hours ending on Thursday morning saw heavy to very heavy rains with extremely heavy rainfall over Konkan and Goa. The rainfall was heavy to very heavy over Chhattisgarh; and heavy over Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, East Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Madhya Maharashtra, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Coastal Karnataka, Marathawada, Mizoram and Tripura.

Some of the highest rainfall were recorded in places including Thane and Santacruz-23 cm each; Panvel and Bemetara-16 each; Ulhasnagar-15; Kalyan, Mathern and Mahasamund-12 each; Raipur, Gomati and Gurur-11cm each; Jakholi, Sagar and Dhamtari-10 cm each; Colaba, Pathapatnam, Bhatkal, Mormugao, Shahjahapur, Sriwardhan, Dhule and Batli- 9 cm each.

The IMD assessed that conditions are favourable for further advancement of the monsoon into some more parts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, remaining parts Chhattisgarh and Odisha, entire West Bengal and Jharkhand and some parts of Bihar and East Uttar Pradesh during the next two days.

A cyclonic circulation lies over North-West Bay which is forecast to descend to lower levels to set up the low-pressure area by tomorrow (Friday). The IMD expects it to intensify a round (to become 'more marked') by Saturday and move in a monsoon-friendly West-NorthWest track across Odisha.

Rains for North-West India

It will bring fairly widespread rainfall with isolated to scattered heavy to very heavy rainfall over most parts of East India and adjoining Central India from Thursday. Isolated extremely heavy rainfall (above 20 cm) is forecast over Odisha on Friday and Saturday; over Chhattisgarh until Sunday; over East Madhya Pradesh on Sunday; and over Vidarbha on both Saturday and Sunday.

The incoming 'low' tracking along what usually would be the monsoon trough will bring fairly widespread to widespread rainfall with isolated heavy rainfall also over Northwest India (excluding Rajasthan) from Saturday to Sunday. Isolated very heavy rain is likely over Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh on Saturday.

Strong winds over West Coast

A truncated trough was located on Thursday from North Punjab to North-East Bay across south Haryana, South Uttar Pradesh, Central Jharkhand, North Odisha. Once the monsoon becomes established, this all-important trough will run down from West Rajasthan across North-West India into the Bay of Bengal.

Meanwhile, the pull effect of the 'low' will strengthen winds along the West Coast and continue battering of Coastal Maharashtra until Tuesday and over Coastal Karnataka from Saturday to Tuesday. Isolated heavy rainfall may lash Kerala and extremely heavy rainfalls ARE EXPECTED over Konkan during this period.

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