New Delhi:
Global warming could be responsible for unprecendented rains that are being witnessed this summer in Kerala and have wreaked havoc there, a top scientist said today.
Expressing fears that heavy rains during this season could weaken the southwest Monsoon, Kerala State Disaster Management Authority member Shekhar Lukose Kuriakose said that last month's prediction of below normal monsoon this year by the Indian Meteorological Department (Met) could turn out to be true.
Kerala, the gateway of the monsoon into the mainland of the country, has experienced heavy rains over the last few days, three weeks ahead of the arrival of South Asia's southwesterly monsoon.
According to the Kerala Revenue Minister, Adoor Prakash, 18 people have died and losses amounting to Rs 250 crore have been reported across the state in heavy summer showers since April.
The crop destruction alone was around Rs 20 crore during the period. A delegation consisting of Prakash, State Revenue Secretary, Satyajit Rajan and Shekhar met Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde seeking an interim relief of Rs 110 crore.
"A deep depression over the sea is the reasons for summer rains. I cannot say whether global warming is responsible for deep depression...However, I can say that we can link the intensified summer rains to global warming," Shekhar told reporters in Kerala.
Shekhar, who is also an associate professor at the Kerala Disaster Management Centre, said that generally pre-monsoon showers are minimal but this year the state has been witnessing unprecedented heavy summer rains.
Asked whether the intensified summer rains will affect monsoon this year, he said intense summer heat is the reason for good monsoon showers but "current intense summer rains, which are hitting the southern states, are likely to influence the temperature pattern causing the monsoon to remain below normal."
India is expected to see monsoon which will remain below normal this year as the Met department has predicted 95 per cent rainfall because of the El-Nino effect, which is generally associated with the warming of the ocean water.
Expressing fears that heavy rains during this season could weaken the southwest Monsoon, Kerala State Disaster Management Authority member Shekhar Lukose Kuriakose said that last month's prediction of below normal monsoon this year by the Indian Meteorological Department (Met) could turn out to be true.
Kerala, the gateway of the monsoon into the mainland of the country, has experienced heavy rains over the last few days, three weeks ahead of the arrival of South Asia's southwesterly monsoon.
According to the Kerala Revenue Minister, Adoor Prakash, 18 people have died and losses amounting to Rs 250 crore have been reported across the state in heavy summer showers since April.
The crop destruction alone was around Rs 20 crore during the period. A delegation consisting of Prakash, State Revenue Secretary, Satyajit Rajan and Shekhar met Home Minister Sushil Kumar Shinde seeking an interim relief of Rs 110 crore.
"A deep depression over the sea is the reasons for summer rains. I cannot say whether global warming is responsible for deep depression...However, I can say that we can link the intensified summer rains to global warming," Shekhar told reporters in Kerala.
Shekhar, who is also an associate professor at the Kerala Disaster Management Centre, said that generally pre-monsoon showers are minimal but this year the state has been witnessing unprecedented heavy summer rains.
Asked whether the intensified summer rains will affect monsoon this year, he said intense summer heat is the reason for good monsoon showers but "current intense summer rains, which are hitting the southern states, are likely to influence the temperature pattern causing the monsoon to remain below normal."
India is expected to see monsoon which will remain below normal this year as the Met department has predicted 95 per cent rainfall because of the El-Nino effect, which is generally associated with the warming of the ocean water.
