The India Meteorological Department has announced that the monsoon has arrived in Kerala. This is the first time since 2009 that the monsoon has arrived early in the state.
Akashvani correspondent reports, As heavy rain continues across Kerala,red alert has been issued in Kannur and Kasaragod districts today. Orange alert has been issued in 9 districts and yellow alert in 3 districts and in Lakshadweep. In the wake of the heavy rain warning, restrictions have been imposed in tourist areas in the state. Widespread damage is being reported. Traffic and Power supply is affected in many regions.
Two deaths were reported in rain-related incidents. Hilly areas, river banks, landslide-prone regions and coastal areas are on high alert. Fisherfolks are warned from venturing into the sea in the Kerala Karnataka Lakshadweep coasts.
Meanwhile, a high-level meeting of State ministers, MLAs and public representatives will be held in Thiruvananthapuram this evening to take stock of the situation. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has also issued red alert for heavy rainfall in South Konkan, Coastal and Ghat Karnataka, Madhya Maharashtra, Goa and West Rajasthan today.
The IMD has also issued orange alert for heavy rainfall over parts of Tamil Nadu, Karnataka, Gujarat, Rajasthan, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Bihar and Assam today. The weather agency has predicted extremely heavy rainfall over Kerala, Mahe and Coastal Karnataka during the next 2 to 3 days.
Meanwhile, heavy to very heavy rainfall is expected over Madhya Maharashtra, Gujarat, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Karaikal and Telangana during the next 3 to 4 days. Light rain to light rain with thunderstorm, lightning and gusty winds will be present over Delhi and adjoining NCR. Heat wave conditions will likely prevail in isolated pockets of Jammu and East Rajasthan for the next two days. Maximum temperatures will also rise by 2 to 4 degrees Celsius over Northwest India until tomorrow.
In this year too the monsoon has set before the normal time. The weather report further says that the northern limit of the South West Monsoon is now passing through Karwar, Shivamogga, Hassan and Mysuru in Karnataka and over Dharmapuri and Chennai in Tamilnadu.
Akashvani Correspondent reports,the Met department has forecast very heavy rain with isolated extreme rains over coastal Karnataka and Western ghats districts of Uttara Kannada, Kodagu, Shivamogga, Chikmagalur and Hassan till May 30th. They are put under red alert.
The North Karnataka districts of Belagavi, Dharwad, Haveri are under orange alert and Bengaluru and surrounding areas are under Yellow alert. Dark clouds with high winds and intermittent rains are lashing in coastal Karnataka. The prediction of above normal rainfall has brought cheers to farmers expecting a good harvest.The arrival of copious rainfall will fill the reservoirs and help agriculture. However, the district administrations are also preparing for calamities and rain-led diseases. The districts prone to floods and landslides are taking preventive measures and the health department has been alerted for dengue and malaria outbreaks.
Meanwhile, several districts in Maharashtra are experiencing incessant rainfall. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued a red alert for two districts and an orange alert for seven districts today. Akashvani correspondent reports, The IMD has issued a red alert for Ratnagiri and Sindhudurg districts, forecasting extremely heavy rainfall. Surrounding districts, including Ahmednagar, Pune, Raigad, Satara, Kolhapur, and the eastern districts of Gadchiroli and Chandrapur, are under an orange alert, indicating the possibility of heavy to very heavy rainfall today. Mumbai, the state capital, has been enveloped in heavy cloud cover since morning, accompanied by intermittent light drizzles.
The neighbouring Raigad district has been experiencing continuous rainfall with thunderstorms since midnight, disrupting daily life. Jalna district and several parts of Sangli district have also been witnessing extremely heavy rainfall.