By John Mary
kochi: Monsoon rains may hit the Kerala coast in two days, the India Meteorological Department has said.
“Conditions are favourable for onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala during next 48 hours,” the weather office said in its mid-Sunday forecast.
Kerala as well as northeast India has been experiencing widespread pre- monsoon thunder shower activity. The north-south pressure gradient has strengthened, particularly over the Bay of Bengal. There are indications of the development of a monsoon onset vortex off Kerala coast and the further advance of monsoon up to the coastal Karnataka and southern parts of Tamil Nadu.
The forecast from various global models indicates better circulation features conducive for monsoon from June 4 to 10 with strengthening of the cross equatorial flow over south Arabian Sea. Models also indicate an increase in rainfall over the west coast of India during this week.
Under these meteorological conditions, there is also possibility of the monsoon advancing to south Konkan and Goa along the west coast and also over parts of northeastern States.
This year monsoon set in over parts of south Bay of Bengal, Andaman and Nicobar Islands and most parts of Andaman Sea on May 17. Progressing further, it covered parts of Comorin Area and the Bay of Bengal by May 21.
Summer has been severe with heat wave conditions prevailing over many parts of northwest and central India. The preliminary analysis of data indicates that mean monthly temperature of March and April was the highest during the last 100 years.
May has also been warmer than normal with severe heat wave conditions prevailing in many parts of Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha and heat wave conditions in remaining parts of northwest and central India.
Heat wave conditions would subside from northwest and central India with the occurrence of occasional thundershowers. Fairly widespread pre-monsoon thundershower activity will continue over northeastern states.