Depression Over Jharkhand: Vigorous Monsoon Over Eastern-Central Parts

Key Takeaways:

• The depression near Ranchi is likely to move northwest towards North Chhattisgarh during the next 24 hours.
• Vigorous to active monsoon conditions are expected over Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, East Uttar Pradesh and East and Central Madhya Pradesh.
• The system may weaken and meander over the region, prolonging the wet spell across central and eastern India.
• Rough weather may affect the Himalayan foothills, Bihar, Sikkim and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal between August 17 and 23.
• Forecast Validity: Next one week.

The well-marked low-pressure area over West Bengal and Odisha moved northwest and intensified into a depression. It is centred very close to the capital city, Ranchi, and is supported by a cyclonic circulation up to mid-tropospheric levels. The system will move further northwest, albeit slowly, to get placed over the North Chhattisgarh region in the next 24 hours. It is likely to weaken into a well-marked low-pressure area and is likely to stagnate for some time. Under its influence, vigorous monsoon conditions at many places and active monsoon conditions over the rest of the places are likely over Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, East Uttar Pradesh, and East and Central Madhya Pradesh. The peripherals of weather activity will reach Bihar, Odisha, West Bengal and Vidarbha.

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The remnant of the earlier low-pressure area over Northwest Madhya Pradesh is now seen as a cyclonic circulation over the same area. The east-west-oriented axis joining this circulation with the other circulation associated with the depression is making a shear zone, almost along 23°N. The two circulations are complementing each other and accentuating the weather activity. The wet spell over the central and eastern parts could last till about mid-week next.

The depression is likely to move over the Chhattisgarh region by tomorrow. However, defying the normal track around this time, the system is unlikely to move further deep into the central and western parts of the country. It may nearly stagnate or, at best, keep meandering for some time over the same area. While most of the western and southern parts of the country may remain free from any heavy weather activity, the eastern states and Indo-Gangetic plains will have a spree of monsoon showers for a prolonged duration.

Today, the weather activity will be confined to Jharkhand, North Chhattisgarh, Central and East Madhya Pradesh. The peripherals will reach the interiors of Odisha, Southeast Uttar Pradesh and Vidarbha. Tomorrow, along with these parts, the rain-thundershower activity will reach up to the foothills of Uttarakhand and West Uttar Pradesh. On 16th August, the rain belt is expected to shift slightly north and cover parts of Central and East Uttar Pradesh, North Chhattisgarh and Northeast Madhya Pradesh.

As the weather system meanders over that area, the fresh pockets of weather activity will include Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha and West Bengal for the second time in quick succession. The foothills of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Nepal, Bihar, Sikkim and Sub-Himalayan West Bengal will witness rough weather activity during the third week of August, between 17th and 23rd, and may even extend further.