Thiruvananthapuram: The Southwest Monsoon, which has been shying away from Kerala after making onset earlier this month, is expected to strengthen by the end of this week due to a possible low pressure area formation over the Bay of Bengal.
The Met department said that Kerala is likely to get widespread showers from June 11.
The low pressure area is likely to form over the north Bay of Bengal on June 11 and catalyse the advance of southwest monsoon into West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Sikkim, Chhattisgarh, and Bihar.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has issued yellow alert in the following districts:
June 11 - Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod
June 12 - Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod
June 13 - Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur and Kasaragod
(A red alert indicates extremely heavy rainfall – more than 204 millimetres of rain in 24 hours, orange alert means heavy to very heavy rainfall ranging from 115.6mm to 204.4mm, and a yellow alert warns of rainfall ranging from 64.5mm to 115 mm.)
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) has forecast waves of 2.5 to 3.2 meters off the coast of Kerala from 11.30pm on June 10. The fishermen has been warned to venture out into the sea from June 11 to June 13. Authorities have warned those who live near the coast of rough sea and asked to evacuate from dangerous areas as per directions.
The also advised the fishermen to securely tie up fishing boats and canoes in the harbour maintaining a safe distance between the boats to reduce the risk of collisions. The safety of fishing equipment should be ensured. Trips to the beach and recreational activities should be avoided.
