Pune, June 6 -- The southwest monsoon entered Maharashtra on Friday, maintaining its normal schedule for the state despite arriving late in Kerala earlier this week, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The monsoon reached Kerala on June 4, three days later than its normal onset date of June 1 and nearly a week behind the IMD's earlier forecast of May 26. However, it progressed rapidly thereafter, covering large parts of the west coast up to Goa by June 5 before advancing into Maharashtra on June 6.

In its latest update, the IMD said the southwest monsoon has advanced into additional parts of the west-central and east-central Arabian Sea, Karnataka, the entire Goa region, parts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, most parts of...