Kerala receives 69% excess rainfall in first week of monsoon

According to the IMD data, the state got 166.7 mm rainfall during the week

Kerala has received 69 per cent excess rainfall against the normal rainfall forecast during the May 30- June 5 period of the southwest monsoon. The state's coastal belt regions got the highest rainfall during this period.

According to the India Metereological Department (IMD) data, the state got 166.7 mm rainfall during the week and all the 14 rainfall-monitoring stations across Kerala had reported a fairly widespread rainfall.

According the IMD data, the cumulative rainfall for the country as a whole has been one per cent below the Long Period Average (LPA). The southern peninsula of the country has so far received 62 per cent excess rainfall than the LPA, which is 36 per cent lower in the east and northeast India, 19 per cent lower in northwest and 3 per cent lower in central India.

Of the 36 meterological sub-divisions in India, rainfall has been excess in 15 sub-divisions, normal over six and scanty over nine sub-divisions. Peninsular India, except Konkan and Goa, western Madhya Pradesh, eastern Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Lakshadweep have received normal to excess rainfall.

However, IMD forecasts widespread rain over Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, northeastern states, coastal Karnataka, Konkan and Goa, Kerala, Andhra Pradesh and the Lakshadweep. Conditions are favourable for further advancement of southwest monsoon into most parts of the country, it added.

Some parts of Kerala has seen strong west south westerly wind with a speed of 40-50 km per hour which led to heavy damage to agriculture and houses.

Latest monsoon began in Kerala from May 23 as 36 per cent of the monitoring stations recorded rainfall. IMD has officially declared the onset of monsoon over Kerala from June 1 as all the 14 stations recorded rain on that day.