New Delhi, May 2 -- The India Meteorological Department (IMD), in its monthly forecast, has predicted the onset of the southwest monsoon over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands around May 14-16, while highlighting that the rainfall averaged over the country as a whole during May is most likely to be above normal.

"The monsoon may arrive over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands around May 14-16," Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, Director General of Meteorology, IMD, told PTI.

In May, the weather agency said that rainfall will most likely be above normal over India, barring some parts of east, northeast and east central India.

The IMD noted that in April, India was affected by seven western disturbances, resulting in normal-to-below-normal maximum tempera...