The southwest monsoon this year is expected to arrive over Kerala ahead of its normal date, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday.
“This year, the southwest monsoon is likely to set over Kerala on May 27, with a model error of four days,” the IMD said.
The normal date of the monsoon onset over Kerala – it marks the official beginning of India’s primary four-month-long rainy season – is June 1. Thereafter, the monsoon rains progress northwards and cover the entire country by mid-July.
Last week, the Met department had said that the monsoon was expected to arrive over the south Andaman Sea and neighbouring areas around May 13, if realised, then early by a week. Around this time, the ocean-atmospheric conditions are in favour of early arrival and on-time advance of monsoon over the country, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General, IMD, had said in early May.
Over the last five years, the southwest monsoon has made early onset during 2021 and 2024 (May 31) and 2022 (May 27).
This season, the southwest monsoon is expected to be above normal, quantitatively 105 per cent of the (880mm). Overall, the monsoon rains during the upcoming season are expected to be normal or above normal for large parts of the country, except northeast and , the IMD had said in April.
