'Thiruvananthapuram received 12% more rainfall this monsoon'

This year’s southwest monsoon has till September 10 brought for Kerala as much rainfall as it could normally expect for the entire four-month season ending on September 30.

According to the latest rainfall update of India Meteorological Department (IMD), the State has received an area-weighted rainfall of 2,041.3 mm from June 1 to September 10. The ‘normal’ (or long-period average) rainfall for the full season is 2,039.6 mm. Each drop of rain to fall for the next 20 days will, therefore, be an extra drop, as per IMD’s classification.

At this stage of the monsoon, the excess rainfall received by the State comes to nine per cent (the ‘normal’ for the period till September 10 being 1,870.9 mm, against the actual receipt of 2,041.3 mm).

Idukki and Pathanamthitta districts, which hold a major share of the hydel reservoir capacity of the State, have so far received 21 per cent and 16 per cent excess rainfall respectively. Ernakulam district too is 21 per cent excess in rainfall at this stage.

Other districts that are ahead of the ‘normal’ in rainfall are Kannur (10 per cent), Kollam (10 per cent), Kottayam (15 per cent), Kozhikode (11 per cent), Malappuram (14 per cent), Palakkad (12 per cent) and Thiruvananthapuram (12 per cent).

The districts that are behind ‘normal’ are Alappuzha (four per cent), Kasaragod (nine per cent), Thrissur (eight per cent) and Wayanad (two per cent).

Meteorological conditions indicated the likelihood of pleasant weather in Kerala during the week ahead. It will be bright sunshine interspersed with a passing shower of two on most days.