Close on the heels of rain fury in Maharashtra, the southwest (SW) monsoon has restarted its activity on its Kerala leg this week. While the country’s overall rainfall deficit in June 1-August 1 period so far is 7%, in the same period, in Kerala, the traditional entry point of SW monsoon, the rain deficit has been as high as 33%.
The IMD centre in Thiruvananthapuram had issued red alerts in Idukki, Malappuram and Kozhikode districts on Thursday, implying extremely heavy rainfall of over 200 mm.
IMD predicts maximum rainfall on Wednesday and Thursday. Since strong winds, driving at 50-60 kmph, are anticipated, fishermen have been told to stay away from the rough seas this week. On Monday, Kochi got more than 90 mm rain, as reported at the airport.
According to scientists, it was because Cyclone Vayu sucked moisture from the air above the Arabian Sea that SW monsoon was chased northwards to Maharashtra and Gujarat from Kerala coast.
By July end, even the remnants of Cyclone Vayu had fizzled out.
Private weather forecaster Skymet said that “whenever there is an anti-cyclone over South Arabian Sea, it restricts the free flow of southwest Monsoon. Thus, in the absence of this system, rains in Kerala will now revive.”
Planners had been worried about the truant southwest monsoon, which normally yields 70% of rains in Kerala, which is hydel-power dependent. Even with red alert, the return of rains is glad news, since “summer rains was 55% deficient and it remains for the southwest monsoon to recharge the depleting groundwater levels,” said VP Dinesan, HoD, Geomatics, Centre for Water Resources Development and Management.
However, southwest monsoon also evokes devastating images of landslides, rivers turning their courses and 483 deaths and 140 missing people, as the worst floods of the century in Kerala, was as recent as August 2018.
In preparation of second leg of monsoon , State Government has opened 12 relief camps in three districts, to shelter 704 people.
