The Hindu Business Line : Monsoon active over Kerala

TWO days into the onset, the northeast monsoon has become active in Kerala to the accompaniment of extravagant strokes of lightning and roll of thunder.

The onset phase on Monday did not provide for anything out of the ordinary for the State even as coastal Tamil Nadu and its neighbourhood received moderate to heavy rain right from Sunday evening through Monday.

Speaking to Business Line, Mr M.D. Ramachandran, Director, Met Office, Thiruvananthapuram, said that on Tuesday, rainfall was widespread in South Kerala and fairly widespread in North Kerala.

Mancompu recorded 7 cm of rain. The other chief amounts of rainfall are: Enamackel, Munnar and Neyyattinkara - 6 cm each; Ottapalam and Thiruvananthapuram City - 5 cm each; Alappuzha, Perumpavur, Chengannur, Kanjirappally, Pattambi, Thrithala and Vadakara - 4 cm each.

Further rain has been forecast for most places in the State over the next 48 hours.

Agromet Bulletin: According to the Agromet Bulletin dated October 18, the southwest monsoon had come to a close on even date. The system was active over the State on October 15 but weak on October 16.

Chief amounts of rainfall in mm are (October 14 to 17):

October 14: Mannarkad - 5; Punalur and Chalakkudy - 3 each; Ambalavayal - 2; and Cochin International Airport, Varkala and Kodungallur - 1 each.

October 15: Vadakara - 9; Punalur - 6; Alappuzha and Konni - 5 each; Kannur and Karipur Airport, Aluva, Piravom, Haripad, Vadakkancherry, Manjeri and Thalassery - 4 each; and Kochi Airport, Cochin International Airport, Cherthala, Kumarakom, Devikolam, and Chalakkudy - 3 each.

October 16: Kozhikode and Thalassery - 2 each.

October 17: Punalur - 5; Perinthalmanna - 4; Kochi Airport - 3; and Kanjirappally - 2.

Mean minimum temperature varied between 30 deg C and 32 deg C in various districts. Punalur recorded the highest maximum temperature of 33.2 deg C on October 16. Mean minimum temperature varied between 22 deg C and 24 deg c with Alappuzha recording the lowest minimum of 21.3 deg C on October 15. The minimum temperature was 3 deg C below normal in Alappuzha the same day.

Mean relative humidity varied between 69 per cent and 89 per cent, mean cloud coverage between 5 okta and 6 okta and mean wind speed, 2 kmph and 8 kmph.

Forecast valid until October 20 spoke about the possibility of rain at a many places in the districts of Thrissur, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Pathanamthitta, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram and at a few places in the remaining districts of the State.

Outlook for the two subsequent days did not indicate any significant change.

Stage and state of crops: Transplanting work is going on in the `Mundakan' paddy fields. A second round of top dressing with fertilisers is in progress in coconut, arecanut and rubber. Pepper is in the berry maturing stage.

Cashew has reached the flushing stage and plant protection operations against tea mosquito attack are in progress in the early flowering varieties. Harvesting continue in cardamom and sugarcane.

Farm advisory: Fertiliser application and transplanting can be continued with in `Mundakan' paddy. In coconut gardens, digging and fertiliser application can be continued with. Spraying of one per cent Bordeaux mixture is recommended to control leaf rot in nutmeg. Addition of Rosin washing soda to Bordeaux mixture is recommended for spraying during the rainy season.

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