NEWS OF THE DAY

Southwest monsoon likely to set in over Kerala on June 4

Last month Skymet forecast below normal rains to the tune of 93% (with an error margin of +/- 5%) of long period average (LPA).

The monsoon is likely to arrive in Kerala on June 4 but is poised to make “sluggish” progress thereafter, according to an assessment by private weather forecasting agency, Skymet.

It is expected to reach Andaman & Nicobar Islands by May 22 and, when it reaches Kerala, it will also make a simultaneous onset over parts of Northeast India as well, the agency said in a statement. “All the four regions are going to witness less than normal rainfall, this season. East and Northeast India and Central parts will be poorer than Northwest India and South Peninsula. Onset of Monsoon will be around June 4. It seems that initial advancement of monsoon over peninsular India is going to be slow,” Jatin Singh, Managing Director, Skymet, said in a statement.

Central India, the country’s rice bowl, is expected to see the lowest rainfall in the region with seasonal rains at 91% of its Long Period Average. “Odisha and Chhattisgarh are likely to be rainiest of all, while Vidarbha, Marathwada, West Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat will be poorer than normal,” the forecast added. Last month Skymet forecast ‘below normal’ rains to the tune of 93% (with an error margin of +/- 5%) of the long period average (LPA), of 89 cm.

The India Meteorological Department is expected to make public its own assessment of the monsoon onset over Kerala on Wednesday.

The agency’s forecasters say that the monsoon over Kerala would likely be “delayed” beyond the normal date of June 1. “There’s likely to be a delay… the El Nino is one of the factors. Moreover temperatures in the Bay of Bengal are still quite high (a factor that delays the monsoon onset over Kerala,” said a meteorologist, familiar with the IMD forecast, who didn’t want to be identified.

The meteorologist underlined that the monsoon’s onset bore no relation to its performance. Since 1971, only thrice has the monsoon arrived in Kerala exactly on June 1 and this arrival could be as early as May 18, 2004 and as late as June 18 in 1972, according to Skymet.

Last month, IMD said that monsoon rains in India are likely to be “normal” this year. However, this assessment also attributed a significant probability for rains falling in the ‘below normal’ category.

Monsoon rainfall this year, according to the agency, is forecast to be 96% of the LPA.

Several injured after clashes mar Amit Shah’s Kolkata rally

College hall ransacked, bikes torched; BJP demands ban on Mamata.

Clashes broke out on Tuesday evening as the mega rally of BJP president Amit Shah passed through the north Kolkata neighbourhood dotted with educational institutions.

The first floor hall of a college affiliated to Calcutta University was ransacked and at least three motorcycles were set on fire.

Several people, mostly Trinamool Congress supporters, were injured. Trinamool chief Mamata Banerjee accused the BJP of damaging Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar’s bust, while Mr. Shah too condemned the incident. More than 100 people were detained, said Kolkata Police Commissioner.

According to eye witnesses, the clashes were triggered after students presumably with Trinamool Congress’ students’ wing of Vidyasagar College held up “Go back, Amit Shah” posters when his roadshow passed the college. When the participants in Mr. Shah’s roadshow spotted the posters, some of them rushed into the campus, and indulged in violence.

Following the violence, senior leaders of the BJP including Ministers Nirmala Sitharaman and Mukhtar Abbas Naqvi led a delegation to the Election Commission in New Delhi.

“We demand that the EC ban campaign by West Bengal Chief Minister Mamata Banerjee, because she is making provocative speeches. Rocks and stones were thrown at our party workers during the roadshow, police lathis used by Trinamool Congress workers were also used against them. False allegations have been made against the BJP of destroying the statue of noted reformed Ishwar Chandra Vidyasagar. All this proves that the law and order situation is bad in the State,” Ms. Sitharaman said.

Mr. Naqvi said “history sheeters and lumpens who, with the connivance of the State administration” were allegedly hiding out in hotels, guest houses and even private residences to disrupt the polls with violence” be tracked down and kept away. He also demanded that the EC get flag marches done by central forces in areas where polling is to take place.

(SOURCE – THE HINDU)

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