New Delhi: India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that the southwest monsoon has officially started, marking its entry into parts of the south Andaman Sea, Nicobar Islands, south Bay of Bengal, and parts of the north Andaman Sea. This signals the beginning of the monsoon season, which usually brings widespread rainfall across India.
IMD also mentioned the presence of an upper air cyclonic circulation over the Andaman Sea. This system could lead to the formation of a low-pressure area between May 16 and 22. Weather experts, including Bangladeshi meteorologist Mostofa Kamal Palash, have forecast that this system might develop into a cyclone, tentatively named Cyclone Shakti, between May 23 and 28.
Cyclone may make landfall between May 24-26
If the cyclone forms, it is expected to make landfall between May 24 and 26, possibly affecting Odisha and West Bengal in India and Khulna and Chattogram in Bangladesh. The IMD and regional weather centres are closely monitoring the system.
In addition to developments in the Bay of Bengal, the IMD also noted cyclonic circulations over northwest Uttar Pradesh and West Rajasthan, which may lead to rain and thunderstorms in nearby areas.
Monsoon likely to advance further
The IMD has issued a yellow alert in several districts of Karnataka, predicting pre-monsoon showers until May 16. In Kolkata, the weather is expected to be partly cloudy on Wednesday, with chances of thunderstorms and light to moderate rainfall in the evening.
In its update on X, IMD said that favourable conditions exist for the southwest monsoon to move forward over the next 3–4 days. It is expected to cover more parts of the south Arabian Sea, Maldives region, central Bay of Bengal, and the remaining areas of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.
