Southwest monsoon hits Kerala

New Delhi, May 31 (UNI) Southwest monsoon today hit Kerala, the India Meteorological Department said.

An official release said the northern limit of monsoon has hit Kozhikode and Tiruchirapalli. Rainfall recorded over Kerala today ranged from one cm to 19 cm at various places. Many other parts of the state experienced light rainfall.

The IMD said in view of strengthening and deepening westerly flow over Arabian Sea and south Peninsula, there is presence of an off shore trough and an Eastwest shear zone, over Arabian Sea and adjoining peninsular India.

The IMD had earlier predicted the monsoon onset over Kerala on May 29 (with error of plus or minus four days).

Giving the forecast, the IMD said the conditions are favorable for further advance of southwest monsoon over some more parts of the Arabian Sea, remaining parts of Kerala, some more parts of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Bay of Bengal and some parts of northeastern states during next two to three days.

UNI MMG BDP KP1921