The Hindu Business Line : Low pressure brightens prospects of rainfall in Kerala

WEATHERMEN have trained their focus outward into the sea to the southwest of Thiruvananthapuram where a low-pressure has taken shape, raising prospects of good rainfall in the State over the next two days.

As if on cue, the skies over Thiruvananthapuram had become heavily overcast by Tuesday evening. The low-pressure area, bordering on depression, might just aid the development of vertical humidity in the atmosphere and help trigger the onset of southwest monsoon, according to Dr C.K. Rajan, Head of the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Cochin University of Science and Technology.

Speaking to Business Line, he said the cloud formation is strong enough to bring about good precipitation over an area extending up to Thrissur in the north. The rain activity is likely to continue for two days.

Meanwhile, India Meteorological Department has said that conditions are favourable for the advance of the southwest monsoon over the South Andaman Sea and the Southeast Bay of Bengal within the next two days.

Normally, there is a lag of four to seven days before the system can proceed further northwest and reach the mainland. The IMD has already indicated that the onset of monsoon is likely to be delayed by as many days compared with the June 1 normal.

The State has already run up a 65 per cent May rainfall deficit, with mercury sustaining high levels for days together. Lack of helpful atmospheric disturbances usually generated over the neighbouring seas by this time had only contributed to the build-up of adverse weather conditions over the peninsula. This had thrown a spanner into the works of the evolving monsoon as well.

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