Vayu, currently a Very Severe Cyclonic Storm some 470 km off Gujarat in the Arabian Sea, is likely to delay the onset of monsoon over West Bengal and other eastern parts of India.
The Times of India, quoting meteorologists, reports that Vayu is weakening the strength of monsoons over West Bengal by sucking in the air from the monsoon currents that extend from the west coast to the east.
The storm is headed towards the coast of Gujarat is expected to make landfall between the port cities of Veraval and Porbandar by Thursday morning.
Until the storm dissipates or subsides in strength, the branch of the monsoon over eastern India will not be able to regain its intensity; thus, postponing the already delayed arrival of monsoons, the experts told TOI.
This is likely to add to the discomfort of many West Bengal residents, who have been awaiting relief from heat wave conditions in the state. The weather over most parts of West Bengal is likely to remain hot and sultry for the next 48 hours. Kolkata on Tuesday recorded a maximum temperature of 36.6°C, which is 2°C above normal.
Vayu’s presence is also likely to affect the northward progress of the monsoon. Although there will be rainfall and thunderstorms along the west coast due to the storm, interior parts of India may witness a delay in monsoons. Experts think that the monsoon could continue its northward journey two or three days after Vayu dissipates.
A ‘Very Low Pressure Area’ is characteristic of a cyclone and adds to its strength by pulling in air from the neighbouring regions to the centre. While, a low pressure area of this type over land can be instrumental in drawing air from the vicinity for triggering rainfall; it is the opposite in this case, where the cyclone is located in the sea.
