Monsoon News - 2013

It is not about watching it drain through the glass pane of your cosy car.

It is not about staring it through the window of your conditioned room.

It is all about reaching out to it.

It is about getting drenched and feeling the punch of its nostalgic charm.

Again, you are not quite there if it just touched your heart.

Allow it to seep through the heart into your soul and then see the magic it unfolds!

Yes - “Into each life some rain must fall”

Courtesy : www.imd.gov.in

Saturday, 15.June.2013

Today is the fifteenth day since monsoon arrived in Kerala. But then, what an arrival it was - within a fortnight the monsoon has already brought out its myriad flavours for us. From a painfully subdued downpour last year it has already poured its heart out with its breathtaking nostalgic charm. 

Eventually, this time my long cherished wish for monsoon travels has also come true - thanks to three hours of my daily train journey to the office. 

In the mid of May, when my daily travel started, it was distressingly barren and dry all along the way. Water in the wells, ponds and dams had hit their abysmal depths. Sluggish Rivers, drowsy cattle, fatigued farmers crouching in summer heat all went past the dusty window pane of my choking train. 

But by the end of May, far at the corner of the south-west sky appeared the signs of its arrival. Through the window I saw the dark blue cloud formation slowly approaching my moving train - like the marching battalion. They were thick like frothed curd with a faint tinge of grayish-black at the brink of its rich blue fabric. It was like an aura of anticipation advancing towards us. My train also seemed to have sensed this as it picked up its speed. 

Soon came the first day of June - with that big moment. The monsoon clouds had already enveloped everything around. My train had just started off for its morning journey. The light morning breeze suddenly transformed into a chill of wind. A mystic darkness descended from nowhere. And then from miles away in the sky, I saw a tiny rain drop coming down to meet her Mother. Soon many followed. Within moments the entire surroundings got engulfed by the torrent from the sky. Here is our Monsoon!! The long wait is over. The prayers are answered. Ha ! What a joy it is ! - It is splashing everywhere - in the river, over the barren fields - It is fun to watch it chase down the running train, catching up with the crescendo and thudding on the roof as like telling it has caught us ! Look how quickly everything has changed around me with its arrival. My dusty window pane is now washed clean. The wet green grass is now refreshingly fresh. There is nourishment. There is life. The cows are mowing merrily. The buffaloes are relishing in rain. The farmers are drenching in the blessings from heaven - all living and non-living things around are celebrating their existence in its presence!

But, Nature is never known to take half-measures. The monsoon soon burst down more vigorously. Within days the other side of its majestic form got revealed. The river gushed down like milk-coffee, the fields flooded, the backyards got inundated. Cranes fed on the unlucky fish, Trees got uprooted, Power lines broke, Sea waves wreaked havoc. Fever broke out and my train too started to crawl through all these to reach its destination.

But this is how it is! this is how it was! Monsoon has its own way of doing things. When it comes, it comes down with life, death, creation and destruction. In fact, the Monsoon is just as it should be to balance this entire gamut of Nature. Human logic may not be enough to explain it. There is long way to go to catch up with its true essence. My train rumbled again and rolled through the monsoon drenched rails.

***

For those who are in love with Monsoon, here are some excerpts from the Monsoon News of the last fortnight taken from ‘The Hindu '

June 1, 2013 - Monsoon at the doorstep

The State received widespread rainfall on Friday ahead of a formal announcement from the India Meteorology Department (IMD) about the arrival of the southwest monsoon.

The IMD, in its evening bulletin for the day, said the onset could happen any time within the next two days. The weather charts showed the northern limit of the monsoon having advanced further north during the day to cover half of the Sri Lankan Island. The weather parameters were becoming favourable for the monsoon to make its real arrival over the Indian subcontinent.

June 2, 2013 - Monsoon starts with a bang

Kannur reports rainfall of 29 cm. The monsoon began with a bang in Kerala, with reports of heavy to very heavy rainfall coming from several centres spread all over the State on Saturday. Kannur reported extremely heavy rainfall measuring 29 cm on the gauge during the 24 hours ending at 8.30 a.m. on Saturday. 

Very heavy rainfall reports also came from Vadakara in Kozhikode (19 cm) and Karipur airport, Nilambur and Manjeri in Malappuram (13 cm each). In the northern hill district of Wayanad, Kuppady too received 13 cm of rainfall, whereas, Vythiri recorded a rainfall of 12 cm. Thalasserry in Kannur district (11 cm), Kanjirappally in Kottayam district (9 cm) too received very heavy rainfall. The Thiruvananthapuram Meteorology Centre, in its bulletin for the day, said widespread rainfall would continue for at least two more days, with the likelihood of heavy downpour in isolated places in the State. 

Fishermen putting out to sea from the Lakshadweep islands and the Kerala coast have been asked to be careful during these days since the wind could blow at speeds ranging between 45 km and 55 km per hour over the seas of the region.

June 3, 2013 - When it rains, it pours woes for health department

The monsoon has just arrived, but the district health department is already in deep waters. The department is in a limbo, left without funds to even buy petrol for its vehicles to inspect areas of outbreak of monsoon-related diseases. More than 850 cases of fever were reported on Saturday. Of the 418 cases of dengue reported from various government and private hospitals in the district, 191 have been confirmed.

June 4, 2013 - Monsoon triggers spurt of viral diseases in district

The dip in mercury levels with the setting in of monsoon has triggered a spurt of infections including viral fever and diarrhoea in the district. On Monday, 1,371 people sought treatment for viral fever in the district. Of these, 40 were admitted to various hospitals. The public has been advised to avoid cold beverages and to drink only boiled water. Maintaining a healthy and light diet will also help prevent infections.

June 7, 2013 - 16,000 fever cases in one day in State

Dengue continues to take its toll in the southern districts, with a majority of cases being reported in the State coming from Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam and Pathanamthitta. While the number of cases dipped slightly in Thiruvananthapuram, a rising trend is seen in Pathanamthitta, Idukki and Kottayam. Fever cases have been going up in Palakkad and Kasaragod also. On Thursday, nearly 16,000 fever cases were reported at the outpatient clinics in government hospitals and medical college hospitals in the State. As many as 774 of these patients have been admitted to the hospitals.

June 10, 2013 - Heavy rain triggers floods in Kuttanad

Heavy rain lashing the district for the past few days has resulted in a rise in water level in Kuttanad. Kainakary grama panchayat has been the worst affected. Areas including the R-Block have been submerged, posing difficulties to residents. A few areas on the Alappuzha-Changanassery (AC) road were flooded on Saturday. An anganawadi building was also destroyed in the rains. Vehicular traffic on some roads in the Kuttanad villages of Champakkulam and Kainakari was disrupted due to flooding of the roads on Sunday.

June 10, 2013 - Umbrella of self-help

The monsoon season may be a dull period for many in the hilly district, but for the members of the Karunya Self-Help Group (SHG) at Kayakkunnu near Nadavayal in Wayanad it is the season of fresh hope. Though umbrella making is not a lucrative business now, the members of the SHG, perhaps the first and only SHG of visually challenged people in the State, from different parts of the district meet together daily during March to June at the office of the Wayanad unit of the Kerala Federation of the Blind (KFB) to make umbrellas. Some travel up to 60 km a day to reach the unit.

Their collective not only provides them an extra income, but also helps develop self-confidence among them. The umbrella-making unit was started in 1999 and the SHG was formed three years ago, with the aim of developing saving habit among the visually challenged, M. Krishnan, president, KFB, Wayanad district unit, said.

June 12, 2013 - Lashing waves damage 60 houses, sea walls

The coastal belt in the district is bearing the brunt of the heavy rain as the monsoon intensifies. Huge waves damaged more than 60 houses in the Kodungallur taluk. Eriyad, West Vemballur, Edavilangu and Kara panchayats were the worst hit. According to the Kodungallur tahasildar, one relief camp has been opened. In all, 16 families of Eriyad panchayat have been shifted to the camp. Arrangements have been made to open more camps if needed.

Mobile health units have been deployed in the coastal belts of the district. Health workers are carrying out door-to-door awareness programmes. Special squads are conducting surprise visits to various blocks to review the monsoon preparedness.

June 13, 2013 - Monsoon to enter vigorous phase

The southwest monsoon is set to climb to a vigorous phase over Kerala during the next three to four days under the combined influence of a low pressure system that has taken shape over the northwest Bay of Bengal and an ideal offshore trough along the west coast. Heavy-to-very heavy rainfall in some places is the forecast for the State for the next couple of days, with no significant change during the subsequent two days. The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its bulletin on Wednesday, predicted very severe weather for the State till Friday, but its numerical weather prediction models, which show the weather possibilities for a seven-day period, showed that the unfolding vigorous spell of downpour could last till June 19.

Very intense rainfall is forecast in the areas lying at the head of the offshore trough (Gujarat) by the time the Bay system merges with the weather system on the west coast, while Kerala, which lies at the tail end of the trough, would receive ‘heavy to very heavy rainfall.’

June 15, 2013 – Rain releases State from the grip of drought

Copious monsoon and increased inflow into reservoirs have released the State from the grip of drought. The more- than-normal rainfall in most of the districts in the past 10 days and the rising water level in the major reservoirs has prompted the Drought Monitoring Cell of the Disaster Management Department to revisit the declaration. Considering the improved weather conditions, the cell may soon recommend lifting of the drought declaration.

June 15, 2013 - Monsoon fury unearths a King’s era remnant

Tidal waves lashing the coast have thrown up an unexpected sight for the residents of Valiathura.The waves, which have washed away a major portion of the beach near the Valiathura football ground, exposed on Friday an eight-inch pipeline, which was hitherto buried about three to four ft beneath the ground.The pipe, locals say, could have been laid during the 1930s, when the Valiathura port was active, and was most probably part of the distribution network of the Willingdon Water Works Trivandrum, the ‘ancestor’ of the Kerala Water Authority (KWA).

June 15, 2013 - Rain will be copious, says IMD

In what should come as a big relief to policymakers who are grappling with a slowdown of the economy, monsoon forecast models of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) have indicated that rainfall during the current monsoon would continue to be copious in the coming months, with a fairly uniform distribution across the country.

Releasing an update of the long range forecast, IMD Director-General L.S. Rathore said the re-run of the models with fresh data obtained since the last forecast of April had reconfirmed the prediction that the country could get 98 per cent of the long period average for the season as a whole. In addition, they have shown that rainfall in July would be 101 per cent of the normal and that for August 96 per cent of the normal.

The southern peninsular region — Tamil Nadu, Kerala, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Lakshadweep and Andaman and Nicobar Islands — is likely to top the table with a rainfall of 103 per cent for the season as a whole, followed by central and north-east India with a rainfall of 98 per cent each and north-west 94 per cent. Meanwhile, with the monsoon steadily progressing northward, the country as a whole has so far received 28 per cent more rainfall than normal.

And for those who look at its physical stats here it is as of 15 June, 2013 in major locations in Kerala:

Place	Rainfall during last 24 hours (in mm)	Total rainfall in mm since June 01, 2013
Alappuzha	17	506
Kannur	36	772
Kochi AP	32	518
Kottayam	15	436
Thiruvananthapuram City	10	298