New Delhi: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issued an orange alert for Gujarat, Maharashtra, and the Konkan, and warned people of heavy rains accompanied by strong winds and thunderstorms for December 1 and 2.
The IMD tweeted, “A cyclonic circulation lies over Southeast and adjoining East-Central Arabian sea, and a trough in lower levels runs from this cyclonic circulation to Kutch. A Western Disturbance lies as a trough in mid and upper tropospheric Westerlies, roughly along Longitude 63degrees East to the North of Latitude 15 degrees North.”
“Under the influence of these systems, Scattered to widespread rain/thunderstorm with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall accompanied with thunderstorms and lightning at isolated places very likely over Gujarat Region, North-Central Maharashtra and North Konkan on December 1 and December 2, 2021,” it added.
The unseasonal rainfall due to cyclonic downpours and the western disturbance decreased the maximum temperatures to 24 degrees Celsius, nearly 8 degrees below the usual temperatures in Gujarat, Maharashtra, and the Konkan.
The National Weather Forecasting Centre (NWFC) head, Sathi Devi, said, “Western disturbance is a cyclonic circulation in the Mediterranean Sea that annually traverses across Central Asia and provides moisture, rain, and snow to most parts of India, especially the Northern regions. Due to these 2 systems, heavy to very heavy precipitation is likely over Gujarat, North-Central Maharashtra, and the North Konkan.”
(Avya Mathur)