The Hindu Business Line : Wet weather likely to hold for a few more days

THE wet weather in parts of the southern peninsula brought about by an upper air cyclonic circulation, alternatively yielding place to a trough of low extending .9 km above sea level and located to the south of Kanyakumari, has continued to hold.

The system is discernible as a `wind discontinuity' as of Wednesday noon, said Mr M.D. Ramachandran, Director, Met Office, Thiruvananthapuram.

On further intensification (into a low pressure area and widespread rainfall) - chances of which are not ruled out - the system would mirror itself in a marked pressure differential at the surface level even as peak action lifts back to higher altitudes.

The wet weather is likely to hold for a few days more. "Yes, there is a trough of low pressure over southern Tamil Nadu and neighbourhood regions that may give rain over the southern peninsula," said Dr M. Rajeevan, Director (Forecasting), India Meteorological Department (IMD), Pune.

The current spell is normal for this time of the year preceding the scheduled onset of monsoon, as it does, by about a month to 40 days. But this may not by itself necessarily herald the onset.

Andhra Pradesh has been witnessing torrential rain during last four days in which at least 30 people have been killed.

Thunderstorms and squally weather have stalked the State leading to lightning, rain, and winds reaching gale speeds, causing massive damage to crops and property.

"We are also witnessing some action to the north of the country. The system prevailing over Rajasthan and extending upwards has been brought about by the Westerlies, which is not normal at this time of the year," Dr Rajeevan said.

The prevailing system has resulted in some untimely snow in Jammu and Kashmir and squally weather in Delhi and Uttar Pradesh during the last few days.

A northward movement of the Inter Tropical Convergence Zone (ITCZ) has also been noticed, which must have aided the weather sentiments in the extreme south peninsula, Dr Rajeevan said.

The ITCZ is the region that circles the Earth, near the equator, where the trade winds of the Northern and Southern Hemispheres come together.

The intense sun and warm water of the equator heats the air in the ITCZ, raising its humidity and causing it to rise.

As the air rises, it cools, releasing the accumulated moisture in an almost perpetual series of thunderstorms.

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