Thiruvananthapuram, 13 Oct (H.S.): The northeast monsoon is likely to set in over southern India within the next three days, bringing isolated heavy rainfall to several parts of Kerala from Thursday, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast.

Yellow alerts have been issued for districts expected to receive heavy rain between Thursday and Saturday. The anticipated onset of the northeast monsoon, locally known as Thulavarsham, comes as the southwest monsoon is expected to withdraw completely from the country within two days.

On Thursday, isolated heavy rainfall is forecast in Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Kottayam and Idukki districts.

The rain is expected to extend to more central and northern districts on Friday, with yellow alerts issued for Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad.

On Saturday, isolated heavy rainfall is likely in Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram. Idukki remains under a yellow alert on all three days, while Ernakulam, Thrissur, Palakkad and Malappuram are covered by alerts on both Friday and Saturday.

The weather department said developing conditions over the Bay of Bengal could also intensify rainfall across Kerala. A low-pressure area is likely to form over the southeast Bay of Bengal on Tuesday under the influence of a cyclonic circulation over the south Andaman Sea and adjoining areas.

Another cyclonic circulation persists over the Gulf of Mannar and the adjoining southern Tamil Nadu coast, extending up to 0.9 kilometres above mean sea level.

Alongside the heavy rainfall forecast, the IMD has warned of thunderstorms and gusty winds reaching speeds of 30–40 kilometres per hour at isolated locations.

The forecast points to a shift in rainfall activity across the state as the monsoon transition approaches. The alerts cover southern districts initially, followed by central and northern Kerala, with the Bay of Bengal system adding to the weather conditions expected to influence rainfall over the coming days.

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Hindusthan Samachar / Arun Lakshman