THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: In the midst of the worst summer in a decade, sudden showers lashed across the state on Saturday. Districts like Palakkad, Kannur, Kollam and Thiruvannthapuram, which had been bearing the brunt of an alarmingly deficient summer showers, received heavy to normal showers.
Meteorological director K. Santhosh said that heavy summer showers were imminent. “We have always held that April will bring in summer showers, and that temperatures will come down,” he said.
El Nino conditions, which have been preventing favourable cloud formation, are also said to have mitigated. Maximum and minimum temperatures have also shown a dip. Maximum temperature in Palakkad, for instance, has fallen to 38ºC from 40ºC.
The IMD has also put out a warning saying that heavy rainfall is most likely to occur at one or two places in Thrissur, Ernakulam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Idukki, Pathan-amthitta, Kollam and Thiruvananthapuram for at least two more days.
March has turned out to be one of the worst summer months in a decade in terms of summer showers.
There is an overall deficiency of 30 per cent in rainfall during the month. Nine of the 14 districts have recorded deficient rainfall. Of this, Palakkad, Malappuram, Ernakulam, Kannur and Kasargod have recorded a deficiency of over 80 per cent. Kasargod was the worst affected district, suffering a deficiency of 100 per cent. In other words, the district had not received even isolated showers.
