Thunder showers for next 48 hours

Thunder showers for next 48 hours
Monday June 2 2008 10:57 IST

ENS

BANGALORE: With the onset of the South West Monsoon in Karnataka, the next 48 hours are expected to see a dip in temperature as heavy thunder showers lash the state. The monsoon hit Kerala on May 31, and then arrived at the Karnataka coast at night.

Karwar, Bellur and Chitradurga experienced monsoon showers, along with Kerala and contiguous areas right up to Chennai.

City Meteorological Department Director-in-charge Dr A Muthachami told this website's newspaper, "The state, with its first showers, recorded 65.6 mm rainfall in Bangalore. 6 cm rainfall was recorded in Ankola and Karwar. The Indian Meteorological Department has officially declared the arrival of the monsoon in Karnataka on Sunday morning, though it hit the state last night."

This year the seasonal rainfall (from June to September) for Karnataka is expected to be normal, at 83 cms. According to the forecast, Karnataka will receive 30 cms rainfall in June. However, variations in rainfall upto 19 per cent, depending on changing parameters, is normal.

The normal summer temperatures soaring upto 35 degree C will have no affect on this seasonal rainfall, said Muthachami. Rainfall recorded varies, depending on seasonal temperature variations, wind speeds, upper air wind flow, pressure distribution, cloud formation, geographic location and time of year.

"Rainfall in south interior Karnataka and coastal Karnataka is forecast to be fairly average. On May 31, coastal and south interior Karnataka received good rainfall, while north interior Karnataka received scattered rainfall. Last year the state received good rainfall and the same will continue this year as well," Muthachami said.

The region will witness a sharp drop in temperature on account of continuous rains: a dip of over 10 degree C, to 20 degree C from 34 degree C is expected. The minimum lowest temperature for this month, of 16.7 degree C, was recorded on June 22, 1967; the maximum recorded was 38.1 degree C on June 2, 2003.