Kochi: Rains to stay put in north
The deep cloud cover is largely reduced over the state on Friday compared with the previous two days.
KOCHI: The intensity of rains that lashed the state in the last two days is expected to mellow from Saturday with the signs of the thick clouds over the state moving further to the north-west direction. The rains will come down mainly in south and central districts in Kerala while it may continue in the Malabar districts, said a climate scientist in Kochi.
On the possibility of another intense spell of rain by August 15, he said a depression is likely to form in Bay of Bengal but it may not produce the kind of intense rains witnessed in the state for the past two days. The deep cloud cover is largely reduced over the state on Friday compared with the previous two days. As a result intense heavy spell all over Kerala is not expected, but, moderate to heavy spell is likely particularly north of Ernakulam and Thrissur.
The heavy rains seen in the past two days meanwhile has reduced deficit rainfall in the first two months of the south-west monsoon and the state is likely to end up with a normal rainfall. According to the data from the IMD, the average rainfall received by the state as on August 9 from June 1 totaled 1,303.7 mm, down 14 per cent from the average of 1,511.5. Wayanad, facing the maximum deficit of 55 per cent in August 1, reduced the shortfall to 24 percent with the surge in the past few days.