Kerala can expect rainfall over the next few days, with parts of the State likely to experience isolated heavy rainfall.
Pathanamthitta district has been put on yellow alert for isolated heavy rainfall (7-11 cm in a 24-hour period) on Tuesday, a Monday evening update from the IMD Meteorological Centre here said. Some places in the State can expect thunderstorm with lightning and gusty winds over the next few days. Thiruvananthapuram and Pathanamthitta are on yellow alert from Wednesday to Friday and Kollam on Friday.
Till May 23
An extended range forecast for the next two weeks indicated that rainfall is likely to be in the normal range till at least May 23. Eleven districts were on yellow alert on Monday with summer rainfall gaining in strength over the State, bringing relief from the sweltering heat.
The southwest monsoon is “very likely” to advance into the South Andaman Sea, parts of southeast Bay of Bengal and the Nicobar Islands around May 19, according to the IMD. From various weather models, the IMD infers that there is a “low probability” of a depression forming over southeast Bay of Bengal during May 17-23. Weather features contributing to the present increase in rainfall over Kerala include cyclonic circulations lying over south interior Karnataka and its neighbourhood, and over the Kanyakumari region. A trough extends from south interior Karnataka to northwest Madhya Pradesh.
Rainfall deficit
The strengthened summer rainfall is expected to reduce the rainfall deficit received by the State this season. Kottayam has moved into the ‘normal’ category, although other districts continue to languish in the ‘deficient’ and ‘large deficient’ categories.
Electricity consumption on Sunday, May 12, stood at 87.64 million units (mu) marking the first instance of the daily consumption dipping below 90 mu since March 3. During the height of summer, Kerala had recorded above-90 mu consumption even on Sundays, when consumption is generally less. The evening demand for electricity has dipped thanks to the cool weather, pulling the State out of a power crisis. The Kerala State Electricity Board is now pinning its hopes on summer rainfall replenishing the hydel reservoirs which had received scant inflow during the summer.
