Monsoon reaches Sikkim, gets stuck over Gangtok

GANGTOK, 17 June: The southwest monsoon entered India at Kerala on 06 June and did a reasonably quick march to reach Gangtok on 10 June. And then, like in the rest of the country, the monsoon winds and clouds lost steam. Monsoon has reached Gangtok and while it delivers thunder squalls over this corner of the State every night, it has not yet advanced to other parts of the State. The monsoon is slightly delayed this year and projections are that it will be below average in inundation as well. The ‘normal’ date for the onset of monsoons over Kerala is 01 June.
The Gangtok Meteorological Centre informs that the Northern Limit of Monsoon (NLM) continues to pass through Lat. 21°N / Long. 60°E, Lat. 21°N/Long. 65°E, Veraval, Surat, Sangli, Bellary, Nandyal, Bapatla, Lat 18°N/Long. 86°E, Lat. 22°N/Long. 90°E, Cooch Behar and Gangtok.
“Conditions are favourable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon into remaining parts of Bay of Bengal, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim and some parts of Gangetic West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand and Bihar during the next 48 hours,” it is informed.
Available met data indicates that rainfall occurred at most places over Sikkim and Maximum temperature remained above normal by 2 to 3°C and Minimum temperature remained normal over most of the stations in Sikkim.