Despite the declaration of the onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala, rain continues to elude most parts of the State. With the State staring at a possibly bleak June, the situation appears not rosy in many of the reservoirs controlled by the Kerala State Electricity Board (KSEB) where the storage levels are precariously low compared to the water levels in the previous year.
According to sources in the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the rain is unlikely to gain strength over Kerala at least for the next couple of weeks due to the absence of rain-producing systems. The sea surface temperature was relatively low during the summer months of April and May due to the copious pre-monsoon showers, one among the reasons for the weak precipitation, said officials.
S. Abhilash, Director, Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research, said synoptic conditions such as lower winds and strong lower and upper air convergence are not favourable for the strengthening of the monsoon for the time being. Further, the formation of offshore troughs used to have a bearing on the vigorous spell of rain over the State. However, this year, such offshore troughs are yet to take shape, one of the main reasons for the subdued rain, said Mr. Abhilash.
