Setting a five-year record, Kerala has received 139.1 cm of rain since the onset of monsoon season this year on June 1, which is an excess of 48 per cent.
It is for the first time since 2009 that the State is receiving surplus rainfall 40 days after the monsoon season, according to figures accessed from the Met Department.
From 2009, the monsoon rainfall during the period had always remained below normal in the State.
During the first 40 days of the monsoon last year, there was a shortfall of 30 per cent in the rains.
As against the expected level of 91.4 cm, the state received only 63.6 cm of rain from June 1 to July 10, 2012.
The situation was better in 2011 when the monsoon was only four per cent less than the expected level. In 2010 and 2009, the monsoon was 13 and 14 per cent below normal respectively.
The Met Department had on Wednesday predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall, as much as 13 cm, in many parts of the State till Saturday. This had prompted the disaster management authority to sound an alert to all district collectors to guard against possible landslides and floods.
On expected lines, Vadakara in Kozhikode received 12 cm of rain on Thursday followed by Haripad and Kayamkulam in Alappuzha district and Thalassery in Kannur getting 9 cm of rain.
“An offshore trough of low pressure still persists over the east Arabian sea, extending from the Gujarat coast to Kerala. This is favourable for south westerly winds to gain strength, bringing heavy monsoon rain to the state,” V K Mini, Scientist-C, Meteorological Centre, here told Express.
In its daily weather forecast, the Met Department has said that there would be heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places in the State till Saturday.
It has also warned fishermen of strong onshore winds from the west with speed occasionally touching 45 to 55 kmph.