Thu Jun 26 14:40:20 UTC 2025: **News Article:**
**Sudden Heavy Rains Lash Kerala, Catching Weather Agencies Off Guard**
**THIRUVANANTHAPURAM -** Unexpectedly intense rainfall pounded the high-range areas of Kerala on Wednesday and Thursday, causing widespread inundation and disrupting normal life. State government rain gauges recorded rainfall between 200 mm and 300 mm in the ghat regions within a 24-hour period, categorized as “extreme heavy rainfall.”
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) recorded 240 mm of rain at Lower Sholayar during the same period. Discrepancies in rainfall measurements from state and national agencies have raised concerns, with some experts questioning the accuracy of non-standard rain gauges.
The heavy rainfall situation reached the equivalent of a red alert level in Wayanad and Thrissur districts.
The IMD reports data reliability issues, saying it can rely only on 75 of its 116 automatic weather stations (AWS) and 10 of its 30 automatic rain gauges (ARG).
According to Neetha K. Gopal, Director of IMD Thiruvananthapuram, the sudden intensification of westerlies, influenced by a low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal, coupled with the formation of a shear zone of monsoon turbulence, amplified monsoon activity.
The activation of this shear zone, characterized by opposing winds at a certain altitude, along with the influence of rain-bearing systems and the Western Ghats’ orographic lifting of clouds, triggered the torrential downpours.
The Cooperative Institute for Meteorological Satellite Studies (CIMSS) model detected offshore vortices on June 24th, a phenomenon suspected to be a contributing factor in last year’s disastrous Wayanad landslide. The IMD has yet to confirm this.
Due to the continuing active monsoon conditions, the IMD has issued an orange alert for Idukki, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram, and Wayanad districts for Friday, June 27, 2025, warning of very heavy rainfall. A yellow alert, signaling isolated heavy rains, is in effect for the remaining districts.
First Piper 