Monsoon set in on Thursday, advancing into some parts of south Arabian Sea, Lakshadweep area, south Kerala, south Tamil Nadu, remaining parts of Comorin – Maldives area and some more parts of southwest Bay of Bengal, IMD said in the afternoon.
More than 60% of 14 key rainfall monitoring stations in Kerala reported rainfall 2.5mm or more in the past 2 days consecutively. The spatial distribution of rainfall over Kerala remained to be fairly widespread during the past 2 days; westerly winds have strengthened in the lower levels (wind speed upto 20 knots) and satellite derived winds suggest that 15-20 knots westerly winds prevail upto 600 hectopascal (hPa); there is persistent convection (cloudiness) indicated from satellite imagery and coastal Doppler Weather Radars over Lakshadweep and adjoining southeast Arabian Sea along and off Kerala coast and Maldives area. All these three parameters are to be fulfilled for monsoon onset to be declared over Kerala, according to IMD.
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IMD also said an east west shear zone (a zone of change in wind direction and velocity) is running from south Arabian Sea to southeast Bay of Bengal across southern most parts of peninsular India in the mid-tropospheric levels. An off shore trough (area of low pressure) is at mean sea level running off Karnataka-Kerala coasts.
{{/usCountry}}IMD also said an east west shear zone (a zone of change in wind direction and velocity) is running from south Arabian Sea to southeast Bay of Bengal across southern most parts of peninsular India in the mid-tropospheric levels. An off shore trough (area of low pressure) is at mean sea level running off Karnataka-Kerala coasts.
{{/usCountry}}Monsoon is likely to advance into remaining parts of south Arabian Sea, some parts of central Arabian Sea, remaining parts of Kerala, Lakshadweep, some more parts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, some parts of coastal and south interior Karnataka, Rayalaseema and some more parts of south and central Bay of Bengal during the next two days.