The India Meteorological Department (IMD) informed on Tuesday that a depression that has developed over the southeast Arabian Sea is likely to travel northwest and strengthen into a cyclonic storm by Wednesday. The depression was located “about 950 km west-southwest of Goa, 1,100 km south-southwest of Mumbai, 1,190 km south of Porbandar, and 1,490 km south of Karachi, Pakistan, at 8:30 am,” according to the IMDs advisory.The warning by the department has also been issued through the official Twitter handle, “Depression over SE Arabian Sea intensified into Deep Depression at 1130 IST near latitude 11.9°N and longitude 66.0°E, about 930 km WSW of Goa, 1060 km SW of Mumbai. To move nearly northwards and intensify into a CS during the next 6 hours.”Depression over SE Arabian Sea intensified into Deep Depression at 1130 IST near latitude 11.9°N and longitude 66.0°E, about 930 km WSW of Goa, 1060 km SW of Mumbai. To move nearly northwards and intensify into a CS during next 6 hours.@WMO@moesgoi@ndmaindia@DDNewslive pic.twitter.com/DX9OHXVTfT— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) June 6, 2023Reports have indicated that the location and severity of the storm in the Arabian Sea will affect the onset of the monsoon in Kerala.A commercial weather predicting company called Skymet predicts that the start of the monsoon over Kerala could occur on June 8 or June 9. “Within this bracket, the southwest monsoon is anticipated to arrive. Onset criteria call for specified rainfall over Lakshadweep, Kerala, and coastal Karnataka on two consecutive days. Therefore, on June 8 or June 9, the distribution and intensity of the rainfall might be in line with these needs. The annual festival may not, however, start with a bang. It might initially only make a timid and moderate entrance,” Skymet warned.
