THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Kerala is set for a wet weekend as two weather systems are brewing over the Arabian Sea. Two low-pressure areas to be formed by Friday and Sunday — one over the southeast and east-central parts and the other over the west-central and southwest parts of the sea — are likely to trigger pre-monsoon rain and advance the monsoon in the state.
The Kerala Disaster Management Authority has suspended all fishing activities along the Kerala coast and southeast Arabian Sea from Thursday midnight. The fishermen who have already ventured into the sea are advised to return by Thursday midnight. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also advised fishermen to avoid deep-sea fishing over these regions from May 31 to June 4.
The weather models issued by the IMD also sounded yellow alert in southern and central Kerala in the next four days, warning of isolated heavy and very heavy rainfall. In view of the enhanced cloud cover and the deepening of southwesterly winds up to mid tropospheric levels, the southwest monsoon advanced further. The conditions are favourable for the monsoon to set in over Kerala by June 5.
According to IMD officials, this would be the first low-pressure area formation over the Arabian Sea this season. Of late, there has been a rise in the formation of cyclones and cyclonic disturbances over the sea. IMD stats compiled after 1902, which saw the maximum number (5) of cyclones developed over the sea, reveal that 2019 had five cyclones and three depressions/deep depressions.