May is the rainiest pre-Monsoon month for the west coast, which is why there is a surge in weather activity in terms of thundershowers during the month. And as the onset date of Southwest Monsoon approaches, these pre-Monsoon weather activities become more intense in the region. By the middle of the month a lot of places in the region tend to have recorded substantial amount of rainfall.
But according to Skymet Meteorology Division in India, rainfall activity during the first ten days of the month has been on the lower side in the region. For instance, Thiruvananthapuram has recorded 54 mm of rain so far against the monthly average of 198.6 mm.
Kochi has recorded only 10 mm of rain against a whopping monthly average of 283 mm. The situation in Mangalore is a little better with 62 mm of rain being recorded in the last ten days against the monthly normal of 184 mm. Goa has also recorded 25.1 mm of rain against an average of 97 mm.
In the next 4-5 days rainfall activity is going to pick up and become more intense in the region.
Pre-Monsoon rain is not uniform like the Southwest Monsoon as they are mostly in form of thundershower activity. But as the Southwest Monsoon approaches the region begins to witness widespread rain. Till then the rainfall activity is scattered and happens towards afternoon and evening hours, when the day temperature touches its peak. High temperature acts as a trigger for rainfall activity in the region.
Image Credit: thehindu.com
