After days of scorching heat, the pitter patter of rain and smell of wet earth seem cooling to the senses. It looks like monsoon is officially on its way to Kerala, with Kochi as its first stop, as many designated weather stations have started receiving more than 2.5 mm rainfall over the past few days. Heavy rain and strong winds are expected to lash Kochi in the coming days. Humidity will continue to be high, about 90 per cent or more.
Monsoon is officially declared when the 14 authorised weather stations in Kerala receive continuous rain of 2.5 mm or more with its intensity increasing gradually. Arrival of monsoon is also marked by setting up of westerly winds with a speed ranging between 25 to 35 kmph, said sources.
Skymet, a weather forecasting agency, predicts that a change in wind conditions over the next few days due to the weakening of cyclone circulation in Arabian Sea, will send the moisture laden westerly to south-west winds resulting in continuous rainfall in the city. With this, the agency has predicted heavy rain (85% chance,123 mm) over the skies of Kochi in the next few days.
“The conditions are favourable for monsoon. Many stations in Kerala are getting more than 2.5 mm rainfall,” said Mahesh Palawat, chief synoptician of Skymet.
“According to Skymet, monsoon-like conditions are already prevailing over Kerala. It is evident from the amount of rainfall received in some of the major cities of Kerala and coastal Karnataka,” he said.