South-west monsoon receding

THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: Conditions are favourable for the withdrawal of South-West monsoon.According to India Meteorological Department (IMD), the monsoon is expected to withdraw from North-West India in a week. However, the monsoon will withdraw from the state around mid-October only. The state is less likely to experience the withdrawal of South-West monsoon as it will coincide with the advance of North-East monsoon. “By mid-October, the state is likely to experience a 180 degree turn in the wind pattern. The westerly winds, a characteristic of South-West monsoon, will be replaced by easterly winds marking the advance of North-East monsoon.The easterly winds will carry moisture from Bay of Bengal,” Met director K Santhosh said.Met predicts a lull in monsoon activity for a week. After a week, the condition will be favourable for widespread rainfall.  The state received excess rainfall this monsoon season. There has been 13 percent excess rainfall from  June 1 to September 22. Against the normal rainfall of 196 cm, the state received 221 cm rainfall.Ernakulam tops the list of districts that received heavy rainfall. Ernakulam received 34 percent excess rainfall.The southern districts, however, paints a contrasting picture. The districts South of Ernakulam received less rainfall. Among them, Thiruvananthapuram got 27 percent less rainfall. Against the normal 81 cm, Thiruvananthapuram district got only 59 cm rainfall. Kollam (-7 percent), Pathanamthitta (-6 percent) and Alappuzha (-5 percent) got less rainfall this season. Wayanad (-23 percent), as usual, received less rainfall this season.The southern districts received less rainfall because there was less number of low pressure formation in Bay of Bengal. More number of depression occurred close to the Orissa or West Bengal coast.