Southwest Monsoon set to reach Kerala coast tomorrow; severe weather warnings issued

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a weather warning indicating that the southwest monsoon is highly likely to advance into Kerala by tomorrow. According to meteorologists, atmospheric conditions are increasingly favourable for the monsoon to expand further across major sectors of the southwest and southeast Arabian Sea, the Lakshadweep archipelago, and parts of Tamil Nadu. The system is also projected to cover the remaining segments of the southeast Bay of Bengal, alongside its northeastern, central-eastern, central-western, and southwest zones.

Cyclonic Circulations and High-Speed Winds

A cyclonic circulation previously positioned over the southeast Arabian Sea near the southern coast of Kerala has now shifted. It currently rests over the central-eastern Arabian Sea, adjacent to the Karnataka coast. Additionally, a secondary cyclonic circulation has formed over the northern Andaman Sea and its neighbouring regions. Under the influence of these systems, the state is expected to experience strong winds clocking speeds of 40 to 50 kilometres per hour between June 5 and June 7.

Orange Alert Issued

The weather office has issued an Orange Alert for several districts over the coming days, predicting isolated, very heavy downpours. The IMD defines very heavy rainfall as a measurement ranging between 115.6 mm and 204.4 mm within a 24-hour window.

The schedule for the Orange Alert is as follows:

• June 4: Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, and Thrissur
• June 5: Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod
• June 6: Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod
• June 7: Kannur and Kasaragod

Yellow Alert and Thunderstorm Warnings

A Yellow Alert has been put in place for regions anticipating isolated heavy rainfall coupled with thunderstorms. This alert denotes an expected precipitation level between 64.5 mm and 115.5 mm within 24 hours.

The Yellow Alert distribution includes:

• June 3: Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod
• June 4: Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasaragod
• June 5: Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, and Ernakulam
• June 6: Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, and Malappuram
• June 7: Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, and Wayanad

Residents in the flagged areas are advised to stay updated on subsequent weather updates and exercise necessary caution as the monsoon establishes its presence over the peninsula.