Extreme Rainfall Intensifies in Kerala Due to Arabian Sea Warming

Warming of the Arabian Sea is leading to deep cloud formation, resulting in heavy rainfall and landslides in Kerala. Senior climate scientist S Abhilash highlights the increasing instability and southward extension of rain-bearing belts due to climate change, causing severe weather events in the region.

The warming of the Arabian Sea is facilitating the formation of deep cloud systems, which has led to unusually heavy rainfall in Kerala and an increased risk of landslides, according to senior climate scientist S Abhilash. On Tuesday, extreme rainfall triggered multiple landslides in Wayanad, leaving at least 45 people dead and countless others feared trapped.

Research by Abhilash, who directs the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research at Cochin University of Science and Technology, notes that districts such as Kasargod, Kannur, Wayanad, Calicut, and Malappuram have experienced excessive rainfall due to an active offshore monsoon trough affecting the Konkan region.

This weather event mirrors the 2019 Kerala floods. Abhilash's research indicates that the increasingly warm southeast Arabian Sea is leading to atmospheric instability, contributing to the formation of deep clouds. This climatic shift has extended the rain-bearing belt southward, resulting in heavier rains and a higher likelihood of landslides, particularly in the high to mid-land slopes of the Western Ghats during monsoon seasons.