The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a yellow alert for several districts in Kerala as heavy rainfall has been predicted on May 31, June 1 and June 2.
Yellow alert has been declared for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki and Malappuram districts for May 31. The alert will be in place for Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki and Malappuram districts on June 1. The districts in which yellow alerts will be in place on June 2 are Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Kasaragod. On June 3 Kannur and Kasaragod will be under yellow alert.
Rains in isolated places from 65.5 mm to 115.5 mm have been predicted in the next 25 hours. Kerala Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has issued warning for people who live in landslide prone areas, on the banks of rivers and those in coastal areas.
Monsoon to arrive on June 1, IMD revises prediction
Meanwhile the IMD has also predicted excess rain in the state for the week from May 29 to June 4. As per the extended range forecast, the rain would be 124.9 mm while the average is 67.7 mm. This is 84% more than usual.
IMD has also revised its prediction on the onset of monsoon. As per the new prediction, the onset will be on June 1 itself while the previous prediction was that it would be on June 5.
From June 5 to June 11 there would be a nine percent shortfall in the rains. In the week the state would receive 60.7 mm rains, it’s predicted. From June 12 to June 18 there would be normal rainfall – 51.5%, 12% less of the average normal rainfall during this week of the monsoon.
On the week of June 19 to June 25 there would be normal rainfall – 48.4 mm. This is seven percent less than the average normal rainfall.
Private agency Skymet announced on Saturday that the southwest monsoon has arrived in the state before the scheduled onset.
From this year onwards the state, that had been unofficially relying on private weather forecasters in the past, is officially accessing inputs from private agencies too for weather prediction. This includes inputs of Skymet, Graph (Global High-Resolution Atmospheric Forecasting System) with that of NCAR (National Center for Atmospheric Research).
The monsoon preparedness of the state usually begins in January. This has been pushed too owing to the COVID-19 pandemic scenario. The onset of monsoon in Kerala marks the commencement of the four-month rainy season in the country that receives 75% of its rainfall from June to September.