Late monsoon surge brings down rain deficit in Kerala; Orange alert for three districts on August 19

Intense spells in the second half of August makes up for reduction in rainfall activity in the first two weeks

Two back-to-back low-pressure systems formed over the Bay of Bengal helped Kerala bridge the rain deficit in August, with the second half of the month recording some intense spells in parts of the State. The overall rain deficit in the State had increased to 16 percent at one point in time in August after a reduction in rainfall activity across the State in the first two weeks of the month.

However, the late surge helped Kerala bring down the deficit from 16 percent to 12 percent as of August 18. The State has received a total of 1,416.5 mm of rain until August 18 against the average of 1,603.7 mm of rain during this southwest monsoon period, a shortfall of 12 percent.

Meanwhile, the scattered heavy spells of rain that had been lashing parts of central and north Kerala will continue for a few more days, influenced by the latest low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal. According to a weather bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department on Monday, the well-marked low-pressure area over west central and adjoining northwest Bay of Bengal and north Andhra Pradesh-south Odisha coasts is likely to move west-northwestwards and concentrate into a depression during the next 12-hours, and cross south Odisha-north Andhra Pradesh coasts around forenoon of Tuesday.

This, along with the presence of the offshore trough from south Konkan to north Kerala at the mean sea level, will help the northern and parts of central Kerala to get a few heavy spells in the coming days. The IMD has issued an orange alert for Kasaragod, Kannur, and Wayanad on Tuesday, where very heavy rainfall is likely, while a yellow alert has been issued for Kozhikode, Malappuram, Palakkad, Thrissur, Ernakulam, and Idukki. Meanwhile, the previous low-pressure area over Vidarbha and neighbourhood has become less marked.