Numerical weather prediction models of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for the next seven days show the rain belt under the ongoing active spell of the southwest monsoon swinging north along the length of Kerala to bring clear skies over the State by Sunday.
The spell that began vigorously over the southern districts five days ago brought very heavy rainfall in many places in Central Kerala during the 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Thursday. Though the heaviest of the downpours were in Central Kerala, places spread across the other parts of the State also received rainfall of a magnitude termed ‘very heavy' in meteorological parlance.
Piravam received 18 cm of rainfall, Enamackal 17 cm, Chalakudi 16 cm, Thrissur, Vellanikkara and Kunnamkulam 14 cm each, Vaikom 12 cm, Chengannur 11 cm, Wadakkancheri 10 cm, Vadakara and Irinjalakuda 9 cm each, Cherthala and Mancompu 8 cm each and Thalassery, Mancheri and Thrithala, Aluva, Thodupuzha, Thiruvalla and Punalur 7 cm each.
Almost all the rain gauge stations of the IMD in the State recorded rainfall measuring between 6 cm and 1 cm during the 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Thursday.
The prospects are for widespread rainfall on Friday, but not of the above magnitude, with the weather progressively changing to bring clear skies over the State by Sunday.
The lower level cyclonic circulation hovering over southeast Arabian Sea that activated the current spell of rainfall over the State was still persisting on Thursday. Aiding this in bringing heavy rainfall in Kerala was a weather system over west-central Bay of Bengal. On Thursday, the Bay system had concentrated into a ‘depression' from Wednesday's grade of a ‘well marked low pressure area.'
