The monsoon continues to prove elusive with the timeline fixed for its arrival over Kerala threatening to become obsolete this morning.

The India Met Department has extended its onset window for a further two days until Sunday as south-westerly winds choked at Kerala's doorstep.

Anti-cyclonic winds

The latest provocation was an untimely anti-cyclonic circulation strengthening over the north-central Arabian Sea and fanning in opposing winds into a 'trough' persisting over Lakshadweep.

The trough was expected to deepen into a low-pressure area that would be just what is needed to salvage the jinxed weather system drifting off the Kerala coast.

According to the Met, formation of the 'low' is being delayed in this manner.

Satellite pictures showed the cloud bank over south central Arabian Sea getting diffused and increasingly scattered. Southwesterlies reaching the Kerala coast are too weak.

Overnight showers

According to a run of the GFS model at the Met, it may take until Sunday for the winds around the trough over Lakshadweep to pick up speed. The monsoon is depicted as peaking to top gear by Monday.

Meanwhile, Thiruvananthapuram has been experiencing intermittent showers since the small hours of this morning. It continues to be overcast with a steady drizzle, considered a monsoonal signature.

Winds are north-northwesterly but are expected to settle as favourable westerly-southwesterly sooner than later. Humidity levels are ruling at close to 80 per cent.

Kochi is hazy with west-southerly winds that are too weak to precipitate the monsoon’s onset. Kozhikode remains mostly cloudy with weak southerly winds.

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