Monsoon reaches Kerala

The monsoon has arrived in Kerala. Heavy rains have been reported since Saturday night in the central and southern districts of the state, an official of the India Meteorological Department said. Rains have also hit some parts of Tamil Nadu, south Bay of Bengal and south Andaman Sea, the official sa
id on Sunday.

Kumarakom, the pristine tourist destination in Kerala, has recorded the heaviest rainfall of 12 cm, he said.

An IMD report said that conditions were favourable for the advance of southwest monsoon over some more parts of the Arabian Sea, remaining parts of Kerala, some more parts of Tamil Nadu, south Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea and some parts of Karnataka during the next two-three days.

2005 onwards the IMD has been issuing forecasts on the onset of monsoon over Kerala using an indigenously developed statistical model. For the last six years the forecasts based on this model have been correct.