Even as the southwest monsoon is slowly advancing into more parts of South Bay of Bengal, which is expected to reach the State by May 27, life in central and northern Kerala was affected on Wednesday as the pre-monsoon became vigorous.
For the second consecutive week, heavy rain lashed the State. Cheruthazham in Kannur recorded extreme rainfall of 25 cm during the last 24 hours ended at 8.30 am on Wednesday followed by Mahe 16 cm, Thalassery 13 cm, Kannur 12 cm; Kozhikode 12 cm, Vadakara 10 cm and Vaikom 9 cm.
A weather bulletin issued by the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday, said the southwest monsoon advanced into some more parts of South Bay of Bengal, entire Andaman Sea and Andaman and Nicobar Islands and some more parts of east-central Bay of Bengal.
Conditions are becoming favourable for further advance of the southwest monsoon into some more parts of South and Central Bay of Bengal and some parts of South Arabian Sea in the next two to three days.
Further, a cyclonic circulation lies over north interior Tamil Nadu and neighbourhood extending up to middle tropospheric levels and a north-south trough runs from central Madhya Pradesh to interior Tamil Nadu in lower tropospheric levels.
Under the influence of these systems, heavy to very heavy rainfall spells are expected over Kerala and coastal and south interior Karnataka during next two days.
Squally weather with wind speed reaching 40 to 50 kmph gusting to 60 kmph is likely over Andaman Sea, Southeast Bay of Bengal and adjoining central Bay of Bengal till Saturday. The IMD also declared an orange alert in Kannur and Kasaragod districts on Thursday warning of very heavy rainfall (11.5-20.4 cm in 24 hours).
