Several parts of Kerala received moderate rainfall on Sunday, a day after the South-west Monsoon set in over the State, even as a low-pressure area formed over the Arabian Sea.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the low pressure system was expected to intensify into a depression in the next two days and, subsequently, into a cyclone.

“It is very likely to concentrate into a depression during the next 48 hours over the south-east and the adjoining east-central Arabian Sea. It is very likely to move north-north-westwards and intensify further into a cyclonic storm subsequently,” it said.

The weather report also predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall (115.6-204.4 mm) in isolated places of northern Malappuram and Kozhikode on June 12.

After a delay of a week, the monsoon hit the Kerala coast on Saturday, marking the official commencement of the four-month rainfall season in the country.

Rainfall deficiency

The delay has pushed the country’s rainfall deficiency in the first nine days of June to 45 per cent, the IMD said. The country received only 17.7 mm of rainfall as against the normal precipitation of 32.4 mm, which comes to around 45 per cent, it said.

The rainfall deficiency in June could be higher due to the sluggish pace of the monsoon and a weak El-Nino, a phenomenon associated with the heating of Pacific waters.

Meanwhile, there was no relief from the heatwave conditions in the North and Central regions of India.

The weatherman has warned that heatwave conditions will prevail over north and central India next week, and predicted a “severe heatwave” in Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh and Rajasthan over the next two days.