New Delhi: In many parts of eastern India, including Bihar, Jharkhand, and Odisha, temperatures are expected to be above normal in May, and heatwave conditions are expected for a few days. The Meteorological Department (IMD) gave this information. The IMD, in its monthly temperature and rainfall forecast for May, said that parts of northwest and west-central India are likely to experience warm nights and below-normal day temperatures.
The department said that normal or above normal rainfall is expected in the northwestern and west-central parts of the country including parts of Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan, and western Uttar Pradesh in May. Apart from this, below-normal rainfall is expected over many parts of the Northeast region, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh, and South Karnataka.
According to the IMD, rainfall is likely to be 91-109 percent of the long-period average (LAP) of 61.4 mm in May. The director general of the department, Mrityunjay Mohapatra, said that in May, Bihar, Jharkhand, Odisha, Gangetic West Bengal, East Uttar Pradesh, parts of Coastal Andhra Pradesh and North Chhattisgarh and most parts of East Madhya Pradesh, Telangana, and Coastal Gujarat were warmer than normal. Winds are expected to blow.
He said that the neutral El Nino effect present in the equatorial Pacific is likely to continue in May and most weather models are indicating warming of the region during the monsoon from May.
It is said that El Nino or the warming of the equatorial Pacific Ocean has an effect on the monsoon rains in India. In addition, other factors such as the sea surface temperature (also known as the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD)) in the Indian Ocean are also known to influence the weather.
Mohapatra said that the neutral IOD conditions prevailing over the Indian Ocean are expected to turn positive in the coming season. He pointed out that positive Indian Ocean Dipole conditions are known to favor the Indian monsoon and help in mitigating the effects of El Nino. Earlier this month, the department had predicted rainfall of 96 percent of the long-period average (LAP) of 87 cm.
