NEW DELHI, Jun 4: The southwest monsoon arrived in Kerala on Thursday, marking the onset of the country’s crucial four-month rainy season, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
In a statement, the IMD said the monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of the southwest and southeast Arabian Sea, portions of the west-central and east-central Arabian Sea, the entire Lakshadweep region, Kerala and Mahe, parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, the remaining areas of the Comorin region, southeast Bay of Bengal, and additional parts of the southwest, west-central, east-central and northeast Bay of Bengal.
The onset comes after a delay from the IMD’s earlier forecast, which had predicted the monsoon would reach Kerala by May 26. Traditionally, the monsoon arrives in the state around June 1 and signals the beginning of the June-September rainy season across the country.
Last week, the weather department revised its seasonal rainfall forecast and projected below-normal monsoon rainfall for 2026. The IMD expects rainfall across the country to be around 90 per cent of the long-period average (LPA) this year.
The LPA, based on rainfall data from 1971 to 2020, stands at 87 cm for the country as a whole. The IMD classifies seasonal rainfall below 90 per cent of the LPA as deficient.
According to the weather department, one of the factors behind the below-normal rainfall forecast could be the development of El Nino conditions, which are generally associated with weaker monsoon rainfall in India.
The IMD said neutral El Nino-Southern Oscillation conditions are currently transitioning towards El Nino conditions over the equatorial Pacific Ocean. It expects El Nino conditions to remain weak in June and strengthen to moderate or strong levels by September. (Agencies)
