State got 164% excess rain in August, 42% more during monsoon, says IMD
NEW DELHI: Kerala received 164% more than normal rainfall for August till Sunday, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday. The state has received an excess of 42% rainfall over the monsoon season, which began in June, the agency added.
Kerala received 758.6 mm of rainfall in the period between August 1 and 19. So far, overall, there has been 2,346.3 mm of rainfall, instead of the normal 1,649.55 mm, according to Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, senior scientist at IMD.
The highest rainfall was recorded in Idukki district, which received 92% more rains. This was followed by Palakkad district, with a 72% excess, he said.
“This year, the heavy rainfall was because of the perfect confluence of the southwest monsoon wind system and the two low pressure systems that formed over the Bay of Bengal and Odisha,” Mohapatra said. Low pressure regions pull in moist south west monsoon winds, increasing their speed, which then hits the Western Ghats, travels skywards, and forms rain-bearing clouds. This brought the excess rainfall over areas near the Western Ghats, including Kerala, explained Mohapatra.
He also said that over the next five days, rainfall over Kerala is likely to decrease, with every district in experiencing light to moderate rainfall. Another low pressure system is forming over Odisha on Sunday, according to the IMD, but it is unlikely to affect Kerala as the direction of the monsoon wind has changed.
Even before the current surge in rainfall over the state between August 8 and 16, Kerala had three rainfall peaks —on June 14, June 20 and on July 20.
The state however, is likely to receive another spell of extremely heavy rainfall in September before the monsoon retreats. “Kerala usually gets extremely heavy rainfalls – up to 24 cms – in September, so we can expect more extremely heavy rainfall in the state. However, this should not worsen the flood situation as we expect a respite from the rains for five to seven days, which should give time to the accumulated water to drain out,” said Dr Mohapatra.
Health ministry kicks into action
To aid flood relief measures, the Union health ministry will set up 3,757 medical camps in Kerala and send 90 types of medicines as requested by the state, a release from the ministry said.
“The first tranche of medicines shall reach tomorrow (Monday),” the release said. To date, no outbreak of communicable diseases has been reported, but “health experts opine that once the flood water starts receding, the environment would be conducive for epidemic-prone diseases,” the release added.