Weather Alert! Southwest monsoon hits Kerala, says IMD

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The southwest monsoon has made an onset over Kerala, marking the commencement of the four-month-long rainfall season, the India Meteorological Department said on Monday. "The southwest monsoon has made an onset over Kerala," IMD director general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said.

The four-month monsoon season from June to September accounts for 75 per cent of rainfall in the country. Private forecaster Skymet Weather on May 30 had declared arrival of monsoon, but the IMD had differed, saying conditions were not ripe then for such an announcement.

On May 15, the weather department had said the onset was likely to be delayed by four days and the monsoon was expected to arrive on June 5.

IMD director general Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra had said they are expecting favourable conditions to develop from Monday, June 1.

“As per our first stage of monsoon forecast, which was issued on April 15, we are expecting normal monsoon condition with 100% rainfall over the country during September. However, we will be releasing the second stage of the monsoon forecast tomorrow,” said Mohapatra, according to news agency ANI.

Nearly half of the country’s farmland depends on annual June-September rains to grow crops such as rice, corn, cane, cotton and soybeans. The monsoon normally sets in over Kerala around June 1 and advances northwards, usually in surges, and covers the entire country around July 15.

Govt gears up to tackle monsoon-related diseases

The Kerala government is gearing up its machinery to tackle monsoon-related diseases with a revised fever protocol even while as it battles the COVID-19 pandemic.

As per the latest medical report issued by the Directorate of Health Services (DHS) on its website on Sunday, at least 2,660 fever cases were reported in the state on May 30 and 65,039 fever cases in the month of May alone.

The state government anticipates a rise in fever cases in the monsoon season.

"As usual, there are chances of rise in fever cases during the monsoon season. Along with that, cases ofdengue fever,Chikungunya, and Leptospirosis diseases are also likely to increase. The state government has to put up anew plan to tackle these diseases whilebattling thecoronavirus pandemic," a senior Health department official told PTI.

Cyclonic Storm depression intensifies in Arabian Sea

The depression in the Arabian Sea is likely to intensify into a severe cyclone and reach north Maharashtra and south Gujarat coasts on June 3, and will have an impact on Mumbai, the India Meteorological Department said on Monday.  The depression will intensify into a deep depression --- the third and fourth stage of any cyclone formation --- by this evening.

It will intensify into a cyclonic storm by June 2, the Cyclone Warning Division of the IMD said.