The summer rainfall recorded in the State during March, April, and May this year was the highest in 50 years, and the fourth highest in the past 100 years, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) Meteorological Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, said on Tuesday.
The State averaged 750.9 mm rainfall during the three months against 361.5 mm, the normal rainfall for the period. This year’s heavy rainfall denotes a percentage departure of 108%, deemed a ‘large excess’ in IMD parlance. All 14 districts have recorded a large excess (a percentage departure of above 60%).
The summer rainfall (or pre-monsoon rainfall) recorded in 2021 is the highest between 1972 and 2021, and the fourth highest between 1922 and 2021.
In the past 100 years, the State had recorded the highest amount of summer rainfall in 1933 (915.2 mm). The second highest rainfall for the three-month period was recorded in 1960 (791 mm) and third highest in 1932 (788.1 mm).
In the past five decades, Kerala had recorded heavy summer rainfall in a number of years. The previous record stood at 684.7 mm (2004). The State also recorded 577.6 mm in 2006 and 528.8 mm in 1999.
The IMD had forecast above normal rainfall during the summer months this year, K. Santhosh, Director, Meteorological Centre, Thiruvananthapuram, said. The development of two cyclonic storms in May - Tauktae in the Arabian Sea and Yaas in the Bay of Bengal - had brought more rainfall over Kerala.
This year, the State had recorded a large excess in the winter rainfall - January and February - also. The State averaged 114.1 mm against the normal of 22.4 mm, a percentage departure of 409%.
