North-East Monsoon likely within next 2-3 days

Thiruvananthapuram, Oct 17 (UNI) The North-East monsoon is likely to hit Kerala during the next two-three days as conditions are favourable.

Local Meteorological Centre director K Santhosh said that the South West Monsoon withdrew from Kerala today.

The four-month period from June to September contributed 202 cm, which is 94 per cent of normal rainfall of 214 cm during the season.

While the South-West monsoon contributes 70 per cent of annual rainfall of Kerala (310 cm), the rest comes from the North-East monsoon and summer showers.

This year the South West monsoon rains commenced in South Kerala on May 26, six days before of the normal onset date and covered the entire country by July 24.

In the month of June, on an average Kerala received normal rainfall with Alappuzha, Idukki, Kollam, Thiruvananthapuram and Wayanad districts receiving deficient rainfall.

The actual average rainfall received during June was 58 cm as against the normal 68 cm.

From July one to 19, the activity was fairly normal. But from July 20 to 31, the activity was comparatively weak and Kerala received deficient rainfall except Idukki, Kollam, Kottayam and Pathanamthitta districts, where it was normal.

The realised rainfall of Kerala during July was 57 cm against the normal figure of 76 cm. In August, Kerala on the whole received normal rainfall with excess rainfall in Thrissur district and deficient rainfall in Idukki, Kasaragod, Pathanamthitta, Thiruvananthapuram and Wayanad districts.

The remaining districts in Kerala received normal rainfall. The deficiency of rainfall was, however, made up by the increased activity of monsoon during middle of August and September. In the month of September some deficiency was noticed in the first half of the month. In the second half of September, Kerala received copious rainfall - an excess of 83 per cent for the month.

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