The weather bureau on Wednesday declared the onset of the monsoon over Kerala — the rain-bearing system’s first port of call on the Indian mainland — which marks the beginning of a widely anticipated wet season.
It has been raining in Kerala for the past two days but the Met declares the monsoon’s arrival only when the rains fulfill a raft of meteorological parameters. “All these criteria have been met,” a Met department official in Kerala said over the phone.
The southwest monsoon has advanced over Kerala, most parts of Tamil Nadu and some parts of south interior Karnataka, besides hovering over parts of south and central Bay of Bengal, stated an update issued by the Met Department. Rain has already been lashing many parts of Tamil Nadu since the last 48 hours with Chennai witnessing summer rains accompanied with lightning and thunder.
Following this, the monsoon is likely to hit the coasts of Maharashtra in another three-four days, said D.S. Pai, Director (Long Range Forecast), IMD. He, however, added that there would be a slackening in monsoon’s progress in mid-June.
Thiruvananthapuram district authorities are taking precautionary steps like restricting flow of tourists to hill stations like Ponmudi in view of heavy rains. People have been advised to avoid travelling during night on hilly roads.
Meanwhile, heavy rain in Idukki district claimed the life of a 36-year-old man following a landslip.
Jobi John, former SFI Idukki district president, died and his mother was seriously injured when mounds of earth and rocks fell on their home following heavy rains at Vazhavara early on Wednesday, police said.
His father escaped unhurt and informed neighbours who engaged in rescue operation. The mother’s condition is stated to be serious and she has been taken to a hospital in Kochi for expert treatment.
Speaking about the unprecedented heat wave in several regions of the country, the IMD chief had earlier said severe weather conditions will continue in western and eastern parts of Rajasthan, western Haryana, some parts of Gujarat and western Madhya Pradesh.
