Kerala that has been reeling under a prolonged dry spell is likely to witness thunderstorm activities from Wednesday with the pre-monsoon wind discontinuity becoming active over south India.
A trough that runs from east Vidarbha to north Tamil Nadu in lower tropospheric levels is likely to trigger the thunderstorm activity over the State from Wednesday, giving much-needed relief to residents hit by the soaring mercury coupled with high moisture in the atmosphere.
Rain warning
As part of the gradually intensifying rain activities, Padannakkad in Kasaragod received the highest rainfall of 9 cm in the 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Tuesday followed by Vellarikkundu (4 cm) and Pilicode (3 cm) in Kasaragod. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued a yellow alert warning of isolated heavy rain in Idukki and Malappuram on Wednesday.
The State has been in the grip of intense heat, heatwave, and warm night conditions since the second half of April. The mercury even shot up to a record 41.8°C in Palakkad during the last week of April, around 5.5°C higher than the normal temperature in the region and only 0.1°C less than the all-time high of 41.9°C recorded in 2016, since 1901. Though temperature fell below the 40°C mark in the State in May, temperature is still ruling high in many parts of the State.
39.6°C in Palakkad
Palakkad recorded the highest temperature of 39.6°C on Tuesday, around 4.3°C higher than the normal temperature. However, the situation is more complex in the coastal district of Alappuzha where the IMD has issued heatwave and warm night alerts after the mercury shot up again. Kozhikode is also experiencing warm night conditions. The presence of cloud mass over these districts often slows down the process of heat escaping the surface of the earth at night, leading to an increase in night-time temperature. In all the districts in the State, except Wayanad and Idukki, the daytime temperature is around 2-4°C above normal.
Financial aid sought
Meanwhile, Leader of the Opposition V.D. Satheesan on Tuesday asked the State government to provide financial assistance to the kin of persons who died due to the heat conditions in the State. In a letter to Chief Minister Pinarayi Vijayan, he also demanded a special package for the farm sector, , including dairy sector, considering the trail of destruction caused by the extreme heat. Farmers are in dire straits as crops have withered and production has dwindled. In plantation sector, yield has decreased by 25-50%, he said.
