The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday announced that the Southwest monsoon has made its onset over the Nicobar Islands and South Andaman sea, the southernmost region of the country.
"Southwest monsoon has advanced into some parts of the Maldives, and the Comorin area and some parts of the South Bay of Bengal, Nicobar Islands and South Andaman Sea on Sunday," the weather office said.
According to the IMD, the Southwest Monsoon has advanced into some parts of the Maldives & Comorin area and some parts of the South Bay of Bengal, Nicobar Islands and South Andaman Sea.
Earlier this month, IMD had stated that the Southwest Monsoon is expected to arrive in Kerala around May 31.
"This year, the Southwest Monsoon is likely to set over Kerala on May 31 with a model error of four days," said the India Meteorological Department in a press release issued on Wednesday, May 15.
"This is not early. It's a near-normal date, as the normal date for the onset of monsoon over Kerala is June 1," said IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra.
A month ago, the IMD had forecast above-normal rain in the monsoon season in India with favourable La Nina conditions, cooling of equatorial Pacific Ocean, expected to set in by August-September. La Nina conditions help in a good monsoon season over India.
When will the Monsoon reach Kerala?
The annual rainfall phenomenon is expected to reach Kerala by Friday, May 31.
In 2023, the monsoon had arrived in Kerala on June 8, whereas in 2022 it arrived on May 29.
The date of monsoon onset over Kerala has varied widely over the last 150 years, the earliest being May 11, 1918, and the most delayed being June 18 in 1972, according to IMD data.
When will monsoon arrive in Mumbai?
The monsoon is predicted to reach Mumbai around June 10, according to the IMD.
Rainfall usually enters parts of Maharashtra around June 9 & 10.
Pre-Monsoon Heatwave Conditions
Large parts of the country are battling a brutal heatwave with maximum temperatures touching 48 degrees Celsius, shattering records in several states and severely impacting health and livelihoods. Southern India experienced heatwave spells in April.
The monsoon is critical for India's agricultural landscape, with 52% of the net cultivated area relying on it. It is also crucial for replenishing reservoirs critical for drinking water, apart from power generation across the country.
One of the two factors favouring above normal rainfall was a positive Indian Ocean Dipole, or a cooler than normal Indian Ocean in the east as compared to the west, which again helps bring rain to several states in southern India. The IOD is currently 'neutral' and is expected to turn positive by August. Another factor was a below-normal snow cover in the northern hemisphere and Eurasia. Historically, there was an 'inverse relationship' between the levels of snow here and the monsoon, IMD Director General Mohapatra had said last month.
(With inputs from PTI)
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