Monsoon weak in Kerala

The South-West Monsoon broke over northern and central Kerala on Saturday, one week later than the normal onset date of June 1, but Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta and Idukki districts are yet to receive any rain.

The monsoon arrived on May 28 last year and the entire state received copious rains within two days. Like this time, the arrival of monsoon was on June 8 in the years 1902, 1907, 1912, 1930, 1934, 1968 and 1995.

In 1918, the monsoon arrived on May 11. A record delay was recorded in 1972 when the onset was on June 18.

Though last year recorded a 35 per cent drop in the rainfall in the state, this year it would be 95 per cent, they said. Normally, the first entry point of the monsoon to India is Kerala but this year, as in the case of 1967, 1968 and 1995, it first broke over the north-eastern states.