Patna, June 14: Southwest monsoon has officially delayed its arrival in the state.

The normal date for onset of rain-bearing clouds in the state is June 10 but the weathermen claim that it is unlikely to arrive here before June 18.

At the time, when the southwest monsoon had set over Andaman Sea on May 19 — two days before its normal onset, the Met officials here had claimed that it would reach Bihar by June 11-13. Later, when the rain-bearing clouds made their onset over Kerala on June 6, a delay of four days, then the Met officials had claimed that it would hit Bihar by June 15- 16. Now, the meteorologists are claiming that it is expected to arrive here between June 18 and 22.

As on Saturday, the northern limit of monsoon (NLM) was passing through Ratnagiri, Chitradurga, Bangalore and Chennai in the west coast and Coochbehar and Gangtok in sub-Himalayan Bengal and Sikkim. Weathermen in Patna claimed that the NLM was almost stagnant over past couple of days due to cyclone Nanauk on the Arabian Sea but it had weakened into a deep depression on Friday and started moving away from the Indian coast.

“With departure of the Nanauk, we are expecting that the Bay of Bengal wing of monsoon would start moving further in eastern India and set over Bihar around June 18- 22,” said a senior meteorologist at Patna under condition of anonymity.

Monsoon had set in Northeast on June 10. The mid-day monsoon bulletin of the IMD today stated that conditions were becoming favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into remaining parts of central and northwest Bay of Bengal and sub-Himalayan Bengal and Sikkim and some parts of Gangetic Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar during next three to four days.

The Met department has predicted pre-monsoon showers in the form of isolated thunderstorm activities in Patna and several other parts of the state on Sunday.

The normal date for onset of monsoon in Bihar through the north-eastern districts of Purnea and Katihar among others is June 10 and it hits central parts, including Patna, around June 13. Last year, (2013), monsoon entered through Purnea on June 15 and covered the entire state on the same day.

On the other hand, the Met department predicted on Saturday afternoon that heat-wave conditions would prevail in some parts of Bihar till Sunday. On Friday, the maximum temperature in the state capital stood at 42.4 degrees Celsius — four notches above normal. Gaya was also almost equally hot as the capital with the maximum temperature standing at 41.3 degrees Celsius.

The Patna Met office predicted that maximum temperature would hover around 41-42 degrees Celsius till Wednesday. Delayed monsoon will affect the kharif crops. The sowing of paddy seedlings start from early June when some intermittent rain because of onset of monsoon helps moist the soil.

WEEKEND UPDATE

Expected monsoon onset over Bihar: June 18-22
Expected pre-monsoon showers: Isolated thundershowers at several places on Sunday Mercury watch: Expected to hover around 41-42° Celsius in Patna till Wednesday
Heat-wave alert: To prevail over several parts of Bihar, including central and southern parts on Sunday
Wind direction: Westerly, which is expected to change to moist easterly within 48 hours Humidity meter: 50-80%