Seven districts in Kerala are likely to receive heavy rainfall on Wednesday, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted. The Yellow colour warning has been issued to Kasaragod, Kannur, Kozhikode, Malappuram, Thrissur, Ernakulam and Alappuzha districts. The remaining districts have the green colour warning.
"Moderate rainfall is very likely to occur at one or two places in Kannur and Kasaragod districts and Amini, Kavarathi, Minicoy and Agathi Island in Lakshadweep," says the Nowcast released by IMD at 10 am on Wednesday, valid for three hours.
For the next two days — Thursday and Friday — light to moderate rainfall is expected across the state, while nine districts are given the yellow colour warning for Saturday, June 20. If districts are issued Yellow colour alert, authorities are advised to ‘be updated’ on the situation.
Kollam, Alappuzha, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur and Kasaragod are expected to get heavy rainfall on Saturday.
In the weather warning issued by the IMD for Wednesday for fishermen, it's been predicted that 'squally weather with wind speed occasionally reaching 45-55 kmph is likely to prevail along and off the Kerala coast'. Fishermen are advised not to venture into these areas.
In the IMD's extended forecast, the rainfall for the week from June 18 to 25 is predicted to be 'cumulatively, near-normal rainfall', likely to occur over Kerala and Mahe, and normal rainfall over Lakshadweep.
The IMD reported earlier that the southwest monsoon set over the state on June 1, coinciding with its normal date, contradicting the report of the private agency Skymet Weather, which said that monsoon came earlier than its usual schedule.
On June 2, several parts of the state were hit by heavy rain.
Monsoons in the last two years had led to heavy floods, especially in 2018, taking away many lives and causing a lot of destruction across the state. Kerala has since been on a rebuilding mode.
Pre-monsoon work for the year could start only in April, after the delay caused by the COVID-19 outbreak.