Pre-monsoon rains lash Kerala: India Meteorological Department

NEW DELHI: Pre-monsoon showers have hit Kerala in the past two days with conditions favourable for the onset of the monsoon.
According to the India Meteorological Department, conditions are becoming favourable for the further advancement of the southwest monsoon over parts of south and central Bay of Bengal and parts of northeast Bay of Bengal during the next three days.

" Rains have begun in one or two places in Kerala and we expect the activity to pick up in the coming days," said DS Pai, director, long-range forecast, IMD. The department has forecast that the southwest monsoon will set in over Kerala by June 3 with a model error of four days.The southwest monsoon normally arrives in Kerala around June 1.

It advances northwards usually in surges and covers the entire country by July 15. In 2012, the monsoon hit Kerala on June 5, four days after its usual arrival date.

Since May 24, Thiruvananthapuram received 10 mm of rain, Kochi 43 mm and Alleppy 10 mm. “From May 27-28, rains will continue at many places over Kerala and cover most of the west coast including coastal Karnataka, Konkan and Goa. The monsoon is likely to arrive by June 1,” said Mahesh Palawat, chief synoptician, Skymet Weather Services.

In its first forecast in April, IMD predicted a normal monsoon this year with overall rainfall expected to be 98% of the long-period average. IMD says that if 60% of the 14 stations -- Minicoy, Amini, Thiruvananthapuram, Punalur, Kollam, Allapuzha, Kottayam, Kochi, Thrissur, Kozhikode, Thalassery, Kannur, Kudulu and Mangalore -- report a rainfall of 2.5 mm or more for two consecutive days after May 10, the onset over Kerala can be declared on the second day.

Further, there should be a significant increase in humidity. Winds should be strong and blow from southwest or in the west-southwest direction. The June-September monsoon, which traverses the entire country form Kanyakumari to Kashmir, delivers 70-90% of the annual rainfall over most parts.

As the monsoon is expected around June 3, farmers in the northern zone of Kerala have been advised to undertake nursery preparation for viruppun rice. Farmers in Konkan and the Western Ghat region are advised to prepare raised beds for nursery sowing of kharif rice and finger millet.