Devastating landslides have struck Wayanad in Kerala, fueled by climate change, according to a study. The rising temperatures of the southeast Arabian Sea have led to atmospheric instability, resulting in the formation of deep clouds. This instability, driven by climate change, has caused the rain belt to shift southward, away from its traditional location in the northern Konkan region.
Consequently, the study highlights that the intensity of rainfall has increased, increasing the risk of landslides in the high to mid-land slopes of the Western Ghats during the monsoon season. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) reported significant rainfall amounts ranging from 19 cm to 35 cm in multiple automatic weather stations across affected areas, including Wayanad.
Heavy rain on Tuesday morning caused significant landslides in the mountainous area around Meppadi in Kerala’s Wayanad district, resulting in at least 106 fatalities and 128 injuries, with hundreds more potentially trapped.
A senior climate scientist has indicated that the warming of the Arabian Sea is contributing to the development of deep cloud systems, which produce intense rainfall over Kerala in a brief period. This increased rainfall heightens the likelihood of landslides.
This alarming update comes after a series of landslides in Wayanad district, triggered by heavy rain, resulting in at least 45 fatalities, with many more feared trapped under the rubble.S. Abhilash, Director of the Advanced Centre for Atmospheric Radar Research at Cochin University of Science and Technology (CUSAT),
highlighted that Kasargod, Kannur, Wayanad, Calicut, and Malappuram have experienced significant rainfall due to an active monsoon offshore trough affecting the entire Konkan region over the past two weeks.”The soil was already saturated from the continuous downpour, and the formation of a deep mesoscale cloud system off the Arabian Sea on Monday caused localized landslides in Wayanad, Calicut, Malappuram, and Kannur,” Abhilash said in an interview with PTI
Abhilash drew comparisons between the current cloud formations and those observed during the devastating floods in Kerala in 2019, warning that the recent weather patterns might indicate a similar threat.
Scientists have noticed a trend of very deep cloud systems forming over the southeast Arabian Sea, which sometimes move inland, mirroring the events of 2019.”The rising temperatures of the southeast Arabian Sea are causing atmospheric instability, which contributes to the formation of these deep clouds.
This instability, driven by climate change, has shifted the rain-bearing belt southward, away from its traditional zone in the northern Konkan region,” Abhilash explained.As rainfall intensity increases, the chances of landslides in the high to mid-land slopes of the Western Ghats in eastern Kerala also rise during the monsoon season, according to their study.
Regarding the immediate weather conditions, the IMD reported that multiple automatic weather stations in Thrissur, Palakkad, Kozhikode, Wayanad, Kannur, Malappuram, and Ernakulam recorded rainfall amounts ranging from 19 cm to 35 cm.
“Several IMD automatic weather stations in the affected areas recorded rainfall exceeding 24 cm within 24 hours, with some farmer-installed stations measuring over 30 cm,” Abhilash noted.
