Winter showers likely; yellow alert for two districts on January 8

Parts of Kerala are likely to receive winter showers for the next two days, triggered by a weather system over the Bay of Bengal.

According to a weather bulletin issued by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday, a depression over the southeast Bay of Bengal and the adjoining East Equatorial Indian Ocean is likely to intensify into a deep depression during the next 24 hours. It is likely to move west-northwestwards initially towards southwest Bay of Bengal during next 48 hours.

Although the system is moving towards Sri Lanka and south Tamil Nadu coast over the southwest Bay of Bengal, the system is unlikely to further gain strength after the initial intensification into a deep depression. However, the system may trigger heavy rain in parts of south Tamil Nadu and the Comorin region due to the effect of a trough from the system.

Isolated showers may also spill over to Kerala, influenced by the system. Formation of cyclonic systems is rare in the month of January, although unseasonal rain triggered by small systems may occur in January at times. A yellow alert has been issued for Idukki and Pathanamthitta on Thursday warning of isolated heavy rain.