Kerala rains: IMD predicts more rainfall in September; yellow alert for 8 districts on Monday

Kasaragod: The Indian Meteorological Department has issued a warning for more rain in September. They predict the formation of a low-pressure area over the Bay of Bengal, which could boost rainfall in the central and southern districts of Kerala.

As the monsoon season nears its last month, several regions have experienced above-average rainfall. Kerala has seen extra rain in three districts and the union territory of Mahe.

From June 1 to August 30, Kannur received 2707.7 mm of rain, surpassing the average 2349.7 mm by 15 percent. Palakkad had 1360.4 mm of rain, which is 1 percent more than the average 1349.2 mm. Thiruvananthapuram saw 736 mm of rain, exceeding the average of 666.3 mm by 11 percent. Mahe received 2522.2 mm, which is 19 percent more than 2128 mm.

Despite these local excesses, the state has experienced an overall 11 percent deficit in rainfall. June had 25 percent less rain than usual. July saw a 16 percent increase in rainfall. August ended with 30 percent less rain compared to average.

The landslide-hit Wayanad received only 1579.8 mm of rain instead of the expected 2200.9 mm, resulting in a 28 percent deficit. Idukki received 1525.3 mm, which is 31 percent less than its expected 2203.3 mm.

Yellow alert for eight districts today

The IMD has forecast widespread rains in Kerala for the coming week. A yellow alert is in place for the following districts today: Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Kannur, and Kasaragod.