Kerala clocks 22% excess rainfall since monsoon onset

Kerala has received about 22 % excess rainfall from the South-West monsoon this year, figures released by the India Meteorological Department said on Friday.

The Met Centre in Thiruvananthapuram has recorded a cumulative rainfall in the state, between June 1 and July 20, of 1,401.49 mm, 22.83 % more than the long period average.

The South-West monsoon set in over the state on May 29.

Parts of Kottayam district, one of the worst-hit in the monsoon’s recent and most active spell, are still recovering from extensive waterlogging.

May residential colonies remained flooded and people struggled to source daily supplies and drinking water.

Following the torrential rain, that hit earlier in the week, the district has recorded 48% excess rainfall between June 1 and July 20.

A 75-year-old man, Ayyappan, and his 45-year-old son Babu— both daily wage labourers— were killed after their house crumbled on them in heavy rain near Vandoor in Thrissur district, in the early hours of Friday.

Many areas of Alappuzha district also remained flooded on Friday.

Parts of the state’s northern districts continued to receive heavy rain on Friday— Vadakara in Kozhikode, Taliparamba in Kannur and Hosdurg in Kasaragod recorded the day’s biggest rainfall, at 9 cm.

Minister of State for Home Kiren Rijiju is scheduled to visit Kerala with a team of officials from the ministry of home affairs to take stock of the rain-related damage in the state.