Wednesday, July 18, 2012

warm and muggy... (am.18.jul.12)>

We have a mix of hazy sunshine and some patches of clouds just after sunrise this morning.  Although there has been no rainfall, it has been very humid overnight (92-98%).  We've only had a trace of rain in the past 36 hours, and that makes 17 July the first day without measurable rainfall since this monsoon season began.  Temperatures have also been a bit warmer than normal -- my overnight low of 69.4F (20.8C) is the warmest low temp since the morning of 3 July, which is the day we received our first monsoon rains.

Our surface humidity is very high, but practically ever other aspect of our weather recently has been very unmonsoon-like.  We've been experiencing more sunshine than normal for the middle of July, and less fog than normal as well.  There have been occasional downpours of rain at least once or twice almost every day, but the showers have been short-lived, and rainfall amounts have trended downward in recent days.  Basically we've been getting off quite easily this monsoon season up to now.

I'm watching an evolving situation for the end of the week, however, which looks like it will intensify our monsoon conditions.  The persistent west-northwesterly flow in the upper atmosphere which has prevented deeper tropical moisture from becoming steadily established in northern India is on the wane.  At the same time, there is a developing area of low pressure in the northern Bay of Bengal that is forecast to drift westward into central India by late Saturday.  All of these factors together should thicken up our clouds, increase the likelihood of fog, and give us a better chance of heavier rainfall as the weekend arrives.

WEDNESDAY:
unseasonably warm, with a mix of hazy sun, clouds and some fog at times.  good chance of a shower or thundershower at some point.
high: 26C (78F)

WEDNESDAY NIGHT:
a shower or thundershower in the area... otherwise partly cloudy.
low: 21C (69F)

THURSDAY:
both clouds and some periods of sun.  fog becoming more likely, with a period or two of showers and thunderstorms likely as well.
high: 25C (77F)

FRIDAY:
mostly cloudy, with a glimpse or two of sun.  periods of fog, rain and thunder likely.
morning low: 20C (68F)
daytime high: 23C (73F)

SATURDAY:
mostly cloudy... foggy at times.  a couple of periods of rain and thunder likely.
morning low: 19C (67F)
daytime high: 22C (72F)

SUNDAY:
generally cloudy skies.  a few periods of fog, rain and thunder.
morning low: 19C (66F)
daytime high: 22C (71F)