Mangalore: Monsoon Makes a Comeback

Report: The Hindu - Pics: Dayananda Kukkaje
Daijiworld Media Network

MANGALORE, May 6: Mangalore received two spells of heavy rain on Friday and, for the first time this year, typical monsoon weather prevailed in the city for the whole day.

The overcast conditions from around 10 a.m. with spells of rain came as a relief to the people who experienced a harsh summer. Many office-goers were caught off guard as it started raining before they could reach their destination. The second spell of rain came in the afternoon.

Many roads were flooded. In a few places, roads that had been tarred recently were partially damaged.

Two-wheeler riders, despite raincoats, had to take shelter as sheets of rain made it impossible for them to ride through to their destinations. Schoolchildren enjoyed the rainfall from their classrooms, and when it was time for them to leave for home, the rain had almost subsided.

A. Muthuchami, in-charge director of the Meteorological Centre in Bangalore, told that the monsoon had intensified in Mangalore and the trend of heavy rainfall might continue for another two or three days.

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Muthuchami said Mangalore received heavy (more than 10 cm) to very heavy (more than 12 cm) rainfall on Friday. The westerly winds had strengthened in the Indian Ocean and their obstruction by the Western Ghats had resulted in heavy rain. The monsoon had actually entered the Karnataka coast on May 25 itself and by now it had covered Udupi district. By Saturday, the entire State was likely to be covered, he said. “Propagation of the clouds northwards is what we call advancement of monsoon,” he said.