Chasing the Indian Summer Monsoon at its Gateway

Kerala is the land of Monsoons. In fact, the first burst of the southwest monsoon over the Indian subcontinent takes place over Kerala. The timely onset, optimum duration and reasonable strength of the southwest monsoon are of vital importance to the life and economy not only of India but the entire South Asian region. The State constitutes a natural and unique geographic unit with oval mountains, verdant valleys, evergreen forests, cascading waterfalls and palm-fringed lagoons. Cochin is located in the central part of Kerala is a meteorologically sensitive region. The rainfall over Cochin is influenced by both the coastal effect and the orographic effect, the region being lying within the boundary delineated by the Arabian Sea in the west and mighty Western Ghats to the east. The highest mountain peak of Western Ghats, Anamudi, lies just 100 km in the same latitude belt of Cochin. Cochin is considered as the Gateway of the Indian summer monsoon.