PUNE: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has found the behaviour of the monsoon this year to be "peculiar", saying this may have been responsible for the delayed onset over central India.
"This behaviour of the monsoon is peculiar and may put weather forecasters in a spot while declaring the onset in various parts of the country," an IMD official said.
The official, referring to the IMD’s latest Operational Extended Range Forecast, told TOI that the monsoon seems to be travelling directly from the south to the north of India and is expected to reach the foothills there around June 23, covering parts of Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab.
"In such a scenario, declaring the onset of the monsoon over a region in north India may become tricky. Usually, the monsoon first covers regions in central India before gradually proceeding towards the north.
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