South West monsoon sets in over Kerala

Thiruvananthapuram, Jun 3: As the South West monsoon made its footfall in Kerala, many places in the state and most places in neighbouring Lakshadweep received rainfall on Thursday. Heavy (7- 11 cm in 24 hours) rainfall is very likely to occur at one or two places in Kerala from Thursday to Saturday, a weather bulletin said here.

Though the normal onset date for the monsoon in the state, which marks the commencement of the four-month rainfall season in the country, is June 1, it arrived two days late this time.

"The Southwest Monsoon has made an onset over southern parts of Kerala," IMD Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra said.

More than 60 per cent of the 14 rainfall monitoring stations reported rainfall 2.5 mm or more on past 2 days consecutively, the IMD said detailing the criteria fulfilled to declare the onset of the monsoon.

Also the spatial distribution of rainfall over Kerala remained to be fairly widespread during past two days, it added.

The South West Monsoon is likely to advance into remaining parts of south Arabian Sea, some parts of central Arabian Sea, remaining parts of Kerala and Lakshadweep, some more parts of Tamil Nadu and Puducherry, some parts of coastal and south interior Karnataka, Rayalaseema and some more parts of south and central Bay of Bengal during next 2 days, an IMD statement said. This is the third time in the last six years that monsoon arrived late. In 2016 and 2019, Southwest Monsoon made an onset over Kerala on June 8.

The IMD had earlier forecast that monsoon would make an onset over Kerala around May 31.

"Rain occurred at most places in Lakshadweep and at many places in Kerala," a weather bulletin said here.

Kayamkulam (Alappuzha district), Vythiri (Wayanad) and Chimoni (Thrissur) received 3 cm each rainfall, while Kollam, Kuppady (Wayanad) and Vilangankunnu (Thrissur) recorded 2 cm each rains, it said.

Rain or thundershower is most likely to occur at most places in Kerala and Lakshadweep on Thursday and Friday, it said.

An ''yellow alert'' indicating the possibility of isolated heavy rainfall is sounded in eight districts- Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod, an IMD update added.