Mon Oct 14 09:40:58 UTC 2024: ## Northeast Monsoon Set to Drench Kerala, Bringing Relief from Summer Heat
**Thiruvananthapuram, October 14, 2024:** Kerala is set to experience the welcome respite of the Northeast Monsoon, also known as Thulavarsham, starting this Thursday. The arrival of the monsoon coincides with the complete withdrawal of the Southwest Monsoon from the country.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the onset of the Northeast Monsoon is attributed to the strengthening of easterly and northeasterly winds over southern peninsular India and the south and adjoining central Bay of Bengal. The monsoon’s arrival is expected to bring relief from the summer heat and usher in a period of intermittent rainfall, often heavy and accompanied by lightning and thunderstorms.
The Northeast Monsoon typically brings around 500 mm of rainfall to Kerala between mid-October and December. While the average onset date for the monsoon is October 19, it can occur anytime between October 11 and 27. This year, the IMD has predicted an above-normal season for Kerala.
The transition from the Southwest to the Northeast Monsoon marks a significant shift in weather patterns. The easterly jet stream, which dominated the Southwest Monsoon, will disappear, while the subtropical westerly jet stream over the northwest Himalayas will reappear.
Adding to the monsoon’s arrival, a twin weather system is currently developing in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. A low-pressure area in the east-central Arabian Sea is expected to intensify into a depression over the central Arabian Sea within the next 12 hours. Meanwhile, another low-pressure area is expected to form over the central parts of the south Bay of Bengal around Monday.
This double system is likely to bring widespread light to moderate rainfall to Kerala for the next five days.
The arrival of the Northeast Monsoon offers much-needed relief from the summer heat and sets the stage for a period of invigorating rainfall across Kerala.
First Piper 