New Delhi, May 15 -- The southwest monsoon is set to reach Kerala on May 26, five days ahead of its usual June 1 arrival date, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Friday.
"This year, the southwest monsoon is likely to set in over Kerala on May 26 with a model error of ± 4 days," the IMD said, noting that conditions were already favourable for the monsoon to advance over parts of the South Bay of Bengal, the Andaman Sea, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands within the next 24 hours. Last year, the monsoon had arrived even earlier, on May 24.
Kerala's onset traditionally marks the formal beginning of the four-month monsoon season, which runs from June through September, and triggers the system's gradual northward march across the country. "The advance of the southwest monsoon over the Indian mainland is an important indicator characterising the transition from the hot and dry season to the rainy season," the IMD said, adding that communities in the monsoon's path would feel relief from summer heat as it progresses.
The stakes this season are considerable. The monsoon delivers nearly 70 per cent of India's annual rainfall, sustaining agriculture, replenishing reservoirs and aquifers, and underpinning the broader economy.
This year, however, the IMD has warned that
total rainfall could fall short of normal levels. The country is projected to receive around 80 cm of rain during the monsoon months, below the long-period average of 87 cm recorded between 1971 and 2020. The likely shortfall is being linked to El Niño. In its monthly forecast issued on May 1, the department said that ENSO-neutral conditions over the equatorial Pacific were shifting toward El Niño, a climate pattern historically associated with reduced rainfall across India.
Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Millennium Post.