Fairly widespread rain soaked the southern parts of Kerala on Monday, setting the stage for the arrival of the southwest monsoon.
The India Meteorology Department has announced that weather conditions have been established for the onset of the monsoon over the State on Tuesday. Widespread rainfall has been forecast across the State for the next four days, indicating a good start to the monsoon season.
The Met Centre here has issued a warning that heavy rainfall (7- 11 cm in 24 hours) is likely to occur at one or two places till Wednesday morning. Strong winds from the westerly direction, speed occasionally reaching 45-55 kmph, are also likely along and off the Kerala coast and Lakshadweep area.
The midday weather inference on Monday indicated that conditions were conducive for the advance of the southwest monsoon into some more parts of the Arabian sea, Maldives-Lakshadweep area, most parts of Kerala, some parts of Tamil Nadu and most parts of North East India as well during the next 24 hours.
Director, Met Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, S. Sudevan said the southern districts had received good rain on Monday as the northern limit of the monsoon (NLM) advanced into the peninsular region. The rainbelt was set to cover the northern parts of the State on Tuesday.
Almost 60% of the weather stations in the State have reported rainfall of 2.5 mm or more for two consecutive days, one of the criteria for the declaration of the monsoon. The wind field and outgoing long-wave radiation, the other two parameters, are likely to satisfy the prescribed conditions by Tuesday.
Mr.Sudevan told The Hindu that conditions in the Indian Ocean augured well for the advance of the southwest monsoon. “The current cyclonic activity in the Bay of Bengal may well be followed by the formation of another system around June 6. Coming one after the other, it will hopefully ensure that the first spell of the monsoon this year is marked by good rain,” he said.
