Monsoon to hit Kerala within 24 hours; onset likely to get delayed in Odisha

Bhubaneswar: After playing hide and seek for almost a week, the southwest monsoon is likely to touch Kerala coast within next 24 hours, informed India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday. IMD senior scientist, Soma Sen Ray informed that, “The monsoon is moving at much slower pace in east and peninsular India.”

Under the present pace of surge, it is most likely that the monsoon onset in Odisha will be further delayed, Ray added.

Ahead of the monsoon landfall, the Kerala State Disaster Management Authority has issued an Orange alert in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha and Ernakulam districts for June 10.

IMD’s Regional Centre in Bhubaneswar on the other hand today predicted that several parts of Odisha will witness thunderstorm activity in the next two to three days.

“Nor’wester rain will lash several parts from Puri coast to Balasore, Sundergarh, Kalahandi, Koraput, Keonjhar and other areas in the next two to three days,” said meteorologist Laxmidhar Mohapatra.

Mohapatra further informed that heavy rain is also likely in several districts -Ganjan Gajpati, Jajpur, Bhadrak, Kendrapara, Cuttack and Balasore between June 8 and 9.

“Only after Monsoon arrives in Kerala, we can predict its onset in Odisha as it usually takes nearly 7 to 8 days after it hits Kerala,” Mohapatra added.