Bhubaneswar, May 16 -- The southwest monsoon has advanced further and reached the Andaman region ahead of its normal schedule, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Saturday.

According to the weather department, the southwest monsoon has covered parts of the south Arabian Sea, south-west and south-east Bay of Bengal, large parts of the Andaman Sea, the entire Nicobar Islands and Sri Vijaya Puram. It has also advanced into some parts of the Andaman Islands.

The early advancement of the monsoon is being seen as a positive sign for the upcoming rainy season across the country.

The IMD stated that if the current weather conditions and monsoon circulation remain favourable, the monsoon may reach Kerala earlier than the normal on...