Setting the stage for the onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala, large parts of the State received heavy rain on Friday. The weather office has issued a heavy rainfall warning for the next four days even as the government machinery began gearing up to face the monsoon.
The India Meteorology Department (IMD) announced that the southwest monsoon had advanced into the South Andaman Sea, some parts of south Bay of Bengal and the Nicobar islands. Conditions are favourable for the further advance of the monsoon into some parts of the South Arabian Sea, Comorin-Maldives areas, some parts of south Bay of Bengal, the Andaman Sea and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the next 48 hours.
An IMD bulletin said conditions are likely to become favourable for the advance of the monsoon into some more parts of the south Arabian Sea, Lakshadweep, the Comorin area, South Kerala, Tamil Nadu and the remaining parts of the Andaman sea and parts of the east-central Bay of Bengal during the subsequent 48 hours.
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Earlier forecast
The IMD had forecast that the southwest monsoon would set in over Kerala on May 29.
The advance of the monsoon onto the South Andaman Sea on Friday has eased fears that Cyclone Mekunu raging in the Arabian Sea would delay the onset.
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According to the warning issued by the Met Centre here, heavy (7 cm to 11 cm in 24 hours) to very heavy (12 cm-20 cm) rain is likely in some places in Kerala till May 29, with extremely heavy (21 cm and above) rain at one or two places on May 28.
Strong winds speed reaching 30 to 40 kmph gusting up to 50 kmph are likely over the Kerala and Lakshadweep area till Saturday evening. Fishermen are advised not to venture into the sea along and off the south Tamil Nadu coast, Comorin area, Kerala- Karnataka coast and the Lakshadweep area till May 30. The State Disaster Management Authority on Friday issued a communication putting the police and the Fire and Rescue Services on alert for emergency response.
Taluk control rooms have been directed to work round the clock till May 29 and the public are advised to restrict night-time journey through hilly roads from 7 p.m. to 6 a.m..
Meanwhile, the extremely severe cyclonic storm Mekunu was barrelling through the Arabian Sea on Friday as it headed for the South Oman-Southeast Yemen coasts. A fishermen warning issued by the Met office here said gale winds with speed reaching 160 kmph to 170 kmph gusting up to 180 kmph were likely over the westcentral Arabian sea during the next 12 hours and decrease thereafter.As the system is away from the Indian coast, no adverse weather is expected along and off the west coast of India and Lakshadweep. However, fishermen are advised not to venture into the westcentral Arabian sea till May 26..