Monsoon may arrive early next week in state

BHUBANESWAR: There could finally be relief from the heat and humidity sooner than expected. For the monsoon rains are most likely to hit the State early next week. Conditions are favourable for the monsoon current to flow into the State as early as June 7/8, sources in the India Meteorological Department have said. Going by the progress of the monsoon current, the weathermen expect that the first monsoon showers could hit the State  pretty early. In fact, the IMD, Orissa, carried out a calculation of the arrival of the south-west monsoon between 2001 and 2010 and found out that on an average, the monsoon onset occurred on June 14 in the State as against the normal date of June 10. “Going by that yardstick, we expect that this year, it could arrive a good seven days in advance,” an official said. On Thursday, the south-west monsoon advanced over remaining parts of south Arabian Sea, Kerala, Tamil Nadu, south Bay of Bengal and some parts of central Arabian Sea, southern Karnataka, Rayalaseema and some parts of central Bay of Bengal. What has encouraged the IMD is that a circulation is likely to form over and off Orissa coast in the next few days. This could help the monsoon advancement. Besides, Arabian Sea branch of the monsoon has been active. An upper air circulation off Kerala and Karnataka coast is persisting. This has helped the progress of the monsoon through Karanataka and AP. The Met office said conditions are favourable for further advancement of the monsoon over more parts of Arabian Sea, Karnataka, AP, remaining parts of central Bay of Bengal and some parts of south Maharashtra, north-eastern states and north Bay of Bengal during next two to three days. “If everything goes as the conditions indicate, we will have the rains early in the State,” said the IMD source.