The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Wednesday that the Southwest Monsoon is expected to reach the Kerala coast on Thursday, ahead of its predicted onset date. Previously, the IMD had forecasted the monsoon's arrival over Kerala on May 31, whereas the normal date is June 1, with a deviation of 7 days.
"Conditions continue to become favourable for the onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala during the next 24 hours," the IMD said.
Rainfall lashes several parts of Kerala (Visuals from Thiruvananthapuram)
Kerala has experienced heavy rainfall for the past two weeks. The state received 39% (465 millimetres) surplus rainfall during March-May, with over 90% occurring in May. The IMD has issued alerts across Kerala, with a red alert for Kottayam and Ernakulam districts and an orange alert for three other districts, as heavy rains and waterlogging have already been reported in many areas. The pre-monsoon showers are expected to intensify into monsoon rains soon after the arrival.
Here's the forecast for the onset of monsoon in different states:
| State/Region | Date of Monsoon Arrival |
|---|---|
| Andaman and Nicobar Islands | May 22 |
| Bengal's coast | May 26 |
| Kerala, Tamil Nadu | May 30, June 1 |
| Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Some parts of Assam | June 5 |
| Maharashtra, Telangana, Eastern Andhra Pradesh, West Bengal | June 10 |
| Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar | June 15 |
| Some parts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Many districts in Uttar Pradesh | June 20 |
| Some parts of Gujarat, Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, Kashmir | June 25 |
| Rajasthan, Delhi, Haryana, Punjab | June 30 |
| Rajasthan | July 5 |
The southwest monsoon typically enters Kerala around June 1st and then progresses northwards, bringing rains across the country by around July 15th. Earlier, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands had been hit by rains since May 22nd. This year, the monsoon arrived in the Andamans on May 19th, three days earlier than usual.
A few days ago, the Meteorological Department issued a report on the monsoon. According to this report, the El Nino system is weakening in the country, and the La Niña condition is becoming active, which is favorable for a good monsoon this year. The monsoon may arrive in India ahead of schedule. "Along with La Niña, the Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions are also favorable for a good monsoon this year, which is a positive sign," it said.