Kerala sees drop in rain as cyclone hits Andhra coast

Rainfall has slowed down across Kerala as the severe cyclonic storm Arnab makes landfall along the Andhra coast. Daytime temperatures are now expected to rise noticeably across the State as this dry spell continues. Weather forecasters say the dry weather will stay until a new weather system forms over the Bay of Bengal.

Storm Forecast

The India Meteorological Department reported that the very severe storm, which hit land on Wednesday, will weaken over the next six hours. It is expected to drop further into a deep depression over the following six hours. At the same time, another upper-air cyclonic circulation is sitting over the south Andaman Sea, reaching up to 5.8 km above mean sea level. A low-pressure area is likely to form in that region over the next 24 hours, though experts say it is too early to tell how it will affect Kerala.

Rainfall Levels

Even with the current dry spell, two back-to-back weather systems in the Bay of Bengal during late October helped Kerala make up for earlier rain shortages. The State recorded 269.1 mm of rainfall by Wednesday, which is close to the normal level of 278.7 mm for the northeast monsoon season. This leaves a small shortfall of just 3%. Meanwhile, daytime temperatures have jumped by 3 to 4 degrees Celsius above normal in several areas due to the drop in rain.

Context

Monsoon weather patterns in India are often linked across different regions, where a storm making landfall on the eastern coast can shift wind patterns and clear the skies on the western coast. Meteorological departments track these overlapping atmospheric systems closely to update regional forecasts from week to week.