By Shankar Raj*
Thiruvananthapuram: The southwest monsoon made a quiet entry into Kerala on Thursday, May 30, 2024. Unlike the torrential pre-monsoon showers that crippled the state early this week, there was not much rainfall on Thursday.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) confirmed in its press release that the monsoon has set in over Kerala and Mahe, and has advanced into most parts of northeast India including entire Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh and most parts of Tripura, Meghalaya and Assam on Thursday.
Widespread rainfall can be expected in a couple of days ahead in Kerala, said weather experts. IMD stated that normally southwest monsoon sets in over Kerala on the 1st of June and it advances over most of northeast India by the 5th of June. Thus, the southwest monsoon has set in over Kerala two days before the normal date and over northeast India, 6 days before the normal date. It has also advanced into most parts of the Lakshadweep area, most parts of the south Arabian Sea, some parts of the central Arabian Sea and some parts of south Tamil Nadu.
Some experts said the monsoon may behave strangely by triggering heavy rainfall for a couple of hours or a day and then remain quiet for some time.
Meanwhile, normal life continued to be affected by the downpour that pounded south and central Kerala since Wednesday morning. Several low-lying areas continued to remain flooded and water is yet to recede from many houses and shops in Thiruvananthapuram, Kottayam, Alappuzha, Kochi and Thrissur.
In Thiruvananthapuram, water from the Killiyar River, Amayizhanjan Canal and other stormwater drains spilt onto the streets and entered houses.
The busy streets of East Fort and Thampanoor resembled mini streams.
Kochi, which had barely recovered from Tuesday’s cloudburst, saw waterlogging on Thursday too. Kalamassery, North Paravoor, Thrikkakara, Kakkanad, Edapally and MG Road bore the brunt of the rain.
Heavy rain in Kottayam destroyed two houses and partially damaged 16 over the past two days. Two deaths have been reported in the district this week in rain-related incidents.
*Shankar Raj is a former editor of The New Indian Express, Karnataka and Kerala, and writes regularly on current affairs.
