NEW DELHI: The southwest (summer) monsoon hit Kerala on Saturday, eight days ahead of its normal onset date of June 1, marking the beginning of the four-month-long rainy season in India. This is the earliest date of monsoon onset over Kerala after 2009 when it set in over the state on May 23, said India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Besides showers in Kerala and other parts of south peninsula, including Tamil Nadu and parts of Karnataka, the monsoon on Saturday simultaneously arrived in Mizoram (NE) - 12 days before the normal onset date of June 5.
Though the monsoon's arrival simultaneously over Kerala and NE is quite an uncommon phenomenon, this time it has happened second year in a row. Before 2024, simultaneous onset happened on May 30, 2017.
Conditions favourable for advance of SW monsoon
Normally southwest monsoon sets in over Kerala on June 1 and it advances over most part of northeast India by June 5. Advance of the monsoon to most parts of Tamil Nadu and some parts of Karnataka on the very first day of the onset is significant but not unusual. It, however, signals the possibility of its fast progress in the next few days.
"Monsoon arrival in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is not unusual. It invariably happens and the monsoon will now make further progress as per our forecast," IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told TOI. Announcing the monsoon onset, the Met department said the conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into entire Goa, some parts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, some more parts of Karnataka, remaining parts of Tamil Nadu, some more parts of northeastern states, and some parts of sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during the next 2-3 days.
Early monsoon onset and its further advance will pave the way for early start of the kharif (summer crops) sowing operations in the country, specifically in south and central India. Since the IMD predicted 'above normal' monsoon rainfall in most parts of the country this year, the situation may help increase the acreage and production of the summer crops such as paddy, pulses, maize and other coarse cereals and steer the country towards realising its goal of record foodgrains output of 354 million tonne in the 2025-26 crop year.
On Saturday, the monsoon advanced into the entire Lakshadweep area, Kerala, Mahe, some parts of Karnataka, remaining parts of Maldives and Comorin area, many parts of Tamil Nadu and some parts of Mizoram. IMD, meanwhile, predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall over west coast (Kerala, Karnataka, coastal Maharashtra & Goa) during the next seven days; coastal and ghat areas of Karnataka till May 27; and ghat areas of Tamil Nadu on May 25-26 due to prevailing weather phenomena.
Besides showers in Kerala and other parts of south peninsula, including Tamil Nadu and parts of Karnataka, the monsoon on Saturday simultaneously arrived in Mizoram (NE) - 12 days before the normal onset date of June 5.
Though the monsoon's arrival simultaneously over Kerala and NE is quite an uncommon phenomenon, this time it has happened second year in a row. Before 2024, simultaneous onset happened on May 30, 2017.
Conditions favourable for advance of SW monsoon
Normally southwest monsoon sets in over Kerala on June 1 and it advances over most part of northeast India by June 5. Advance of the monsoon to most parts of Tamil Nadu and some parts of Karnataka on the very first day of the onset is significant but not unusual. It, however, signals the possibility of its fast progress in the next few days.
"Monsoon arrival in Karnataka and Tamil Nadu is not unusual. It invariably happens and the monsoon will now make further progress as per our forecast," IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra told TOI. Announcing the monsoon onset, the Met department said the conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into entire Goa, some parts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, some more parts of Karnataka, remaining parts of Tamil Nadu, some more parts of northeastern states, and some parts of sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during the next 2-3 days.
Early monsoon onset and its further advance will pave the way for early start of the kharif (summer crops) sowing operations in the country, specifically in south and central India. Since the IMD predicted 'above normal' monsoon rainfall in most parts of the country this year, the situation may help increase the acreage and production of the summer crops such as paddy, pulses, maize and other coarse cereals and steer the country towards realising its goal of record foodgrains output of 354 million tonne in the 2025-26 crop year.
On Saturday, the monsoon advanced into the entire Lakshadweep area, Kerala, Mahe, some parts of Karnataka, remaining parts of Maldives and Comorin area, many parts of Tamil Nadu and some parts of Mizoram. IMD, meanwhile, predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall over west coast (Kerala, Karnataka, coastal Maharashtra & Goa) during the next seven days; coastal and ghat areas of Karnataka till May 27; and ghat areas of Tamil Nadu on May 25-26 due to prevailing weather phenomena.
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