While it is unlikely to rule out the possibility of the state receiving more than 2,300 mm of rainfall, it may not translate into a flood, particularly if it is spread over four months, said experts. "What caused the floods in 2018 and 2019 was a brief period of heavy rainfall, equivalent to a cloudburst. Around 1 and 19 August 2018, the state recorded 758.6 mm rainfall, which was 164 per cent above average.
Similarly, the massive landslides at Kavalappara and Puthumala in Nilambur were caused by a week-long, heavy rainfall from 1 to 7 August in 2019. The region received 550mm of rainfall over a three-day period," said S Abhilash, assistant professor at the Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Cusat.'A hat-trick has happened before 'Although the Tamil Nadu Weatherman did not forecast a flood, his prediction has sparked speculations that the state is planning for another devastating flood. "In 1922, 1923 and 1924 Kerala had reported a hat-trick of heavy downpour.