Monsoon to enter Orissa by middle of this week

BHUBANESWAR: The south west monsoon playing shy with Orissa, the meteorologists on Sunday said stage was ready for its onset in the State by June 14 or 15. By the time celebratory mood of the Raja festival sets in, showers are expected to start.Although not all parts of the State will be covered by the monsoon, it will enter the State somewhere in the middle of this week as the conditions are favourable, the Agro Meteorology wing of Orissa University of Agriculture and Technology said.The India Meteorological Department stated that conditions are favourable for progress of the monsoon into more areas of Andhra Pradesh, Bay of Bengal and eastern India parts during the next two to three days.Till June 14, conditions are favourable for scattered rainfall across the State while model prediction shows that a low pressure area (LPA) is likely to be formed over north Bay of Bengal on June 13. The system is expected to move towards the land and persist there for two days and before gathering strength again. It will then reposition itself either over the Orissa coast or the nearby Bay off the coast for next three days.The weather office said widespread rain is likely to occur in the State on June 15 and the heavy showers may continue for the next few days. Interior parts are likely to get more rain during this period. Similarly, Bhubaneswar is expected to get a good amount of rainfall on June 14 and then from June 16 to 18.Model prediction says that Orissa will get normal rainfall during the month and given the rainfall in the first week, heavy showers are expected during the second fortnight. Between June 1 and 8, Orissa had received 26.5-mm rain as against the normal rain of 31 mm.