New Delhi, June 8 -- The southwest monsoon has advanced into parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana, raising hopes for an early boost to kharif sowing. The weather office has also warned of intense rainfall in southern India and continuing heatwave conditions across the northwest.

The southwest monsoon arrived in Kerala on 4 June, three days after its normal onset date of 1 June.

"Conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into some more parts of central Arabian Sea, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, remaining parts of Tamil Nadu & southwest Bay of Bengal, some more parts of westcentral & northwest Bay of Bengal, some parts of Chhattisgarh, Odisha, West Bengal & Sikkim, rem...