No rain in sight, heat wave to continue

Thiruvananthapuram: The high-temperature alert of India Meteorological Department (IMD) will continue in the coming days. As per IMD, dry weather will prevail over the state in the coming days.
According to IMD, the maximum temperature will be 2-4 degrees Celsius above normal in districts such as Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Palakkad and Kozhikode on Monday and it will be 2-3 degrees Celsius above normal in Pathanamthitta, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Malappuram, Kannur and Kasargode districts.

The Kerala Disaster Management Authority has advised people to avoid going out in the sun between 11am and 3pm as chances of sunstroke and sunburn are high. Parents were advised to keep a check on children, who might go out during the afternoon.

Adding to the high temperature, summer rainfall is largely deficient in the state. Since March 1, the summer rainfall has been recording a 65% deficiency. Against the normal 59.5 mm rainfall, the state has received only 20.8 mm rainfall till Sunday. Highest deficiency (99%) is recorded in Kasaragod, closely followed by Palakkad (97%). Districts such as Kannur (96%), Kozhikode (93%) and Thiruvananthapuram (91%) are recording a large deficiency in rains.

Meanwhile, IMD will issue the first long-range forecast for southwest monsoon on Monday. The long-range forecast is crucial as it will cover the effect of El Nino. Presence of a strong El Nino, a climate pattern that describes the unusual warming of surface water of Pacific Ocean, might weaken the southwest monsoon. However, a direct correlation between El Nino and monsoon has not been proven so far.