The onset of monsoon in India begins from Kerala and its subsequent movement across other Indian states is a much awaited event for the Indian farmers who are dependent on the monsoon for their crop productivity. Pre-monsoon showers in Kerala primarily start in the month of March and last till May.
The tropical convective maximum over Indonesia and the western Pacific during the spring season (March to May) plays an important role in the onset of monsoon in India. “In simple words, warming up of the western Pacific results in good rain and thunderstorms in Indonesia, which directly affects pre-monsoon rain in Kerala and leads to the onset of southwest monsoon in India”, explained a senior meteorologist of Skymet’s Meteorology Division.
Latest weather update by Skymet Meteorological Division in India shows that Kerala has received good rain in the month of March, with Thiruvananthapuram recording 31.5 mm of rain and Kochi receiving 14 mm of rain in the last 24 hours. Other cities in South India to have recorded rain in the last few days have been Bangalore, Hyderabad, Chennai, Ramagundum, Kurnool, Chirtradurga, Coimbatore and Madurai. The rainfall figures at these places have been between 1 mm to 4 mm.
Rain has already begun at one or two places in Kerala and forecast suggest scattered rain is likely to continue throughout this week. The humidity level will also increase during this time. Winds will blow from the easterly direction, merging with warm and humid westerly breeze from the sea.
“Lastly, what confirms that the rain in Kerala and South India is typically pre-monsoon showers is the fact that they are frequent yet short and are followed by thunderstorm and hailstorm. These showers are directly related to the significant rise in mercury and humidity levels, occurring during the later part of the day”, added the meteorologist of Skymet’s Meteorology Division.
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