Monsoon likely to enter Raj around June 24

Jaipur: Southwest monsoon is likely to enter Rajasthan around June 24, later than its normal onset date, with pre-monsoon activity expected to gain momentum from June 15, the Meteorological centre, Jaipur, said Tuesday.

According to the Met office, thunderstorm and rainfall activity is expected to increase gradually during the second half of June as atmospheric conditions become favourable for the advancement of the monsoon.

Officials said that if the current weather pattern persists, the southwest monsoon is likely to enter Rajasthan around June 24 and spread across most parts of the state during the final week of the month.

“Under favourable conditions, the monsoon is expected to advance over Rajasthan around June 24. Its gradual progress during the last week of June is likely to bring widespread rainfall and significant relief from the prolonged summer heat prevailing across the state,” a Met official said.

Before the monsoon’s arrival, several parts of eastern Rajasthan are expected to witness pre-monsoon showers, thunderstorms and gusty winds.

Meteorologists said that an increase in moisture and convective activity from mid-June would lead to more frequent spells of rain and thunderstorms across the state.

On Tuesday, however, weather conditions remained largely dry across Rajasthan, with only isolated places recording light rainfall. At the same time, heat-wave conditions made a comeback in several districts, particularly in western Rajasthan and parts of the Shekhawati region.

Sriganganagar emerged as the hottest place in the state with a maximum temperature of 46.4 degrees. It was followed by Churu at 44.6 degrees, Pilani 44.5 degrees, Phalodi 43.8 degrees, Bikaner and Jaisalmer at 43.6 degrees each. Temperatures remained above 41 degrees in several other cities, including Jaipur, Barmer, Alwar and Jodhpur.

Jaipur recorded a maximum temperature of 41.8 degrees and a minimum of 31.2 degrees. The weather office has forecast mainly clear skies in the city over the next 24 hours, with the maximum temperature likely to hover around 42 degrees.

Meanwhile, the weather department forecast a fresh spell of weather activity from June 11 onwards due to the influence of a western disturbance. Some places in the Jaipur, Bharatpur, Bikaner and Ajmer divisions are likely to witness dust storms, gusty winds and light rainfall during the next few days, offering temporary relief from the prevailing heat.