Somali Jet may advance monsoon, not guarantee more rain: IMD scientist

Bengaluru | The reportedly intensifying Somali Jet—a low-level, cross-equatorial jet stream that influences the Indian summer monsoon—broke the internet on Tuesday, with weather influencers posting maps and analysing the trend.

However, a scientist from the India Meteorological Department (IMD)’s Bengaluru Centre said it is too early to conclude.

The low-level Somali Jet is the primary mechanism for moisture transport during the South Asian monsoon. It plays a key role in enhancing rainfall over the region, said Latha Sridhar, D-category Scientist at the IMD Centre, Bengaluru.

“There is no official statement from the IMD about the jet yet. We cannot immediately say whether it is very intense, weak, or normal,” Sridhar added.

She attributed the sudden public interest to the “favourable conditions” of the Somali Jet, which could potentially lead to an early onset of the Southwest monsoon over Kerala.

“We are expecting it in the next four or five days,” she said.

Athreya Shetty, a hobby weather watcher and agricultural scientist, called the Somali Jet’s surge “monstrous.”

Taking to 'X', Shetty described the buildup as “absolutely bonkers,” something more typical of July than May.

Explaining its formation, Sridhar said the Somali Jet originates in the southern hemisphere, near Mauritius and Madagascar, due to seasonal shifts in pressure and wind patterns over the Indian Ocean.

“It moves northward along the eastern African coast, crosses the equator, and heads toward the Arabian Sea—reaching peak strength in July,” she noted.

She added that the jet’s current acceleration after crossing the equator could trigger an early monsoon in Kerala.

"The flow needs to occur for the winds to turn southwesterly and bring Southwest monsoon rainfall. If the cross-equatorial flow remains strong over the next few days, Kerala could see an early onset of the monsoon," she added.

Landslide in Ratnagiri disrupts Konkan Railway services

Ratnagiri | Train services on the Konkan Railway (KR) route were disrupted on Tuesday evening following a landslide between Vervali and Vilavade stations in Maharashtra's Ratnagiri district, officials said.

The services were restored a few hours later, they said.

A KR spokesperson said a huge boulder fell on the tracks at around 6.30 pm amid heavy rainfall in the coastal Konkan and Goa region, affecting the rail traffic on the busy 741-kilometre-long route that connects Maharashtra, Goa and Karnataka.

The spokesperson said due to the landslide, train traffic on the Mumbai-Goa route was suspended for some time and it was restored once the debris were removed from the tracks at around 8 pm.

The KR spokesperson informed that due to the incident only one train was regulated.

Heavy rains lashed the Konkan region of Maharashtra and Goa on Tuesday. The highest rainfall of 121 mm was recorded at Pernem station in Goa, he added.

Meanwhile, passengers complained that trains on the Konkan route were running late.