Thiruvananthapuram: Parts of Kerala are witnessing heavy rains since Sunday night as the south-west monsoon picked up strength after a tepid onset.
The onset of the south-west monsoon was delayed by one week this year. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted that the monsoon will take another week to intensify in the state.
A yellow alert has been sounded in Ernakulam, Thrissur, Kozhikode and Kannur on Monday as heavy rain is likely in these districts. Rainfall accompanied by lightning will continue at isolated places till June 15, as per the weather forecast.
The monsoon normally sets in over Kerala on June 1.
The monsoon hit Kerala on May 29 last year, and on June 8 this year. But there is no significant dip in rainfall compared to last year. Around 87.3mm of rainfall was received from June 1 to 11 last year, while 85.2mm of rainfall was received during the same period this year.
Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, and Kottayam districts, however, did not receive much rainfall in this early phase.
The very severe cyclonic storm Biparjoy, which has formed over Arabian Sea, is moving towards Gujarat-Pakistan border area, according to the Meteorological Department.
