The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has asked district administrations to be on their guard given the likelihood of the southwest (SW) monsoon flexing its muscles in August.
The KSDMA alerted the District Collectors on Monday after the India Meteorological Department (IMD) indicated that a low pressure area could be taking shape in the Bay of Bengal.
At present, an upper air cyclonic circulation persists over the Bay. IMD has indicated that a low pressure area could develop and intensify over west-central and adjoining northwest parts of the Bay by August 7.
It is still early to say how the scenario would develop. If the weather formation intensifies into a depression and pushes towards the coasts of Andhra Pradesh or Orissa, the situation will be favourable for increased southwest monsoon rainfall over Kerala and Karnataka.
The devastating natural calamities that shook Kerala in 2018 and 2019 occurred in the month of August.
Orange alerts on Wednesday and Thursday
Meanwhile, the IMD has issued orange alerts for isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall for several districts for Wednesday and Thursday.
Orange alerts, requiring district administrations to be prepared for monsoon-related emergencies, have been issued in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Idukki for Wednesday. Orange alerts have been issued for Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad for Thursday.
Deficient SW monsoon
Kerala has received 29% less SW monsoon rainfall than the normal between June 1 and July 28, indicate IMD statistics. Among the districts, only Thiruvananthapuram, Kozhikode, Kasaragod and Kannur have recorded normal rainfall for the period. The SW monsoon set in over Kerala on June 1 this year.
