Weather in Kerala to change in five days; warns India Meteorological Department

KOCHI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that the southwest monsoon will reach Kerala in the next four to five days. It was earlier informed that the monsoon would reach Kerala on May 27. However, the IMD shared the new information on Tuesday. If the monsoon starts in Kerala in the next four to five days, it will be the earliest monsoon to start in the Indian mainland. Before this, the monsoon had started on May 23, 2009.

The monsoon normally arrives in Kerala on June 1 and spreads across the country by July 8. The southwest monsoon is likely to reach some parts of the south Arabian Sea, the remaining parts of the Maldives and the Comorin region soon. The IMD also said that there is a possibility of a high-pressure area forming in the east-central Arabian Sea off the Karnataka coast by May 21. Due to its influence, a low-pressure area is also likely to form in the same region on May 22. It is likely to move northwards and strengthen.

Kerala is likely to receive up to 880 mm of rain this monsoon season. The normal rainfall is 750 to 800 mm. Meantime, the northern parts of the state have been receiving heavy rains for the last two days. In the last 24 hours, Kunnamkulam alone has received 22 cm of rain. Traffic in Kozhikode city was paralyzed due to the rain. All the main roads in the city were flooded. Although the rain stopped by noon, the water did not recede.

Yellow-orange alerts have been sounded in the state till May 26.

Alerts announced by IMD

Orange Alert
May 21 - Kannur, Kasaragod
May 23 - Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Idukki
May 24- Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, Kasaragod

Yellow Alert
May 21- Kozhikode, Wayanad
May 22- Kannur, Kasaragod
May 23- Alappuzha, Kottayam, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad
May 24- Pathanamthitta, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram