Monsoon sets in over Kerala

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala received the year's first monsoon rains on Saturday. Most parts of the state experienced heavy rains, which the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said would continue. The IMD had predicted that monsoon would hit the state within two days on Friday. "The monsoon has arrived. Rainfall monitoring stations have recorded heavy to very heavy rainfall in Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu on June 1," IMD director-general L S Rathore said. Kannur recorded a rainfall of 29 cm, while Vadakara in Kozhikode 19 cm and 9 cm in Kottayam district's Kanjirappally. Thiruvananthapuram received 4 cm rain, IMD said, adding, Kavaratti in Lakshadweep had recorded 2 cm of rainfall. IMD charts predicted westerly to southwesterly winds, reaching speeds of 40-50 kmph in the next two days. The northern limit of the monsoon has passed over Mangalore, Mysore, Salem and Cuddalore, IMD officials said. "Isolated heavy rains are likely in many parts of Kerala over the next two days, and the conditions are favourable for monsoon to advance over to parts of central Arabian Sea, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, south Andhra Pradesh and parts of Bay of Bengal," K Santosh, the IMD station director in Thiruvananthapuram, said. Unlike the previous year, when the southwest monsoon hit Kerala four days after the predicted onset, the conditions have been favourable this time. "We can expect 98% rainfall this time in the long period average with a model error of plus or minus five," Santosh said.   Source: TOI