Bhubaneswar/New Delhi: About a week ahead of its usual schedule, the monsoon arrived in Kerala on Saturday (May 24).
It is the earliest onset of monsoon in the last 16 years, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
Heavy rainfall has been lashing several parts of Kerala over the past two days due to the dual effect of a low-pressure area and the approaching monsoon system.
The early monsoon
Monsoon had arrived this early in Kerala in 2009 and 2001. It had then reached the state on May 23. The usual date for the monsoon’s onset over Kerala is June 1. The earliest recorded arrival was on May 11 in 1918, reported India Today. The record for the late onset was in 1972, when the rains commenced as late as June 18. In the past 25 years, the most delayed arrival occurred in 2016. That year, the monsoon entered Kerala on June 9.
Odisha
Odisha is expected to receive heavy rainfall as a low-pressure system is likely to form on May 27. The low-pressure system is expected to form in the west-central and adjoining north Bay of Bengal by May 27. This will intensify further over the next two days. Rainfall is likely to occur in various parts of the state from May 27 to 31. Some areas will also receive heavy rain during this period.
Southern states
In the southern states, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted isolated extremely heavy rainfall over Kerala, coastal and south interior Karnataka, and Konkan and Goa on May 24. Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is likely over Kerala and coastal Karnataka through May 29, with gusty winds reaching 40–50 kmph, India Today reported. Tamil Nadu, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh will also see scattered showers and thunderstorms over the next five days.
Maharashtra
A depression has formed over the east-central Arabian Sea near the south Konkan coast. It was located about 40 km northwest of Ratnagiri early on May 24. It is expected to move eastwards and cross the coast between Ratnagiri and Dapoli later today (May 24).
The IMD on Friday afternoon issued a red alert predicting heavy rainfall in the coastal Maharashtra. Mumbai may experience thunderstorms accompanied by lightning, with light to moderate rainfall. It may also see winds gusting up to 40 to 50 kmph in isolated areas.
Goa
The IMD has issued a red alert for Goa, predicting heavy to very heavy rainfall till Sunday. The state government has urged people to stay away from rivers and waterfalls. Several parts of Goa were lashed by intense rain over the past 24 hours.
Delhi-NCR
Light rain is likely in parts of South Delhi and the National Capital Region (NCR) over the next two hours, an IMD update issued at 5:40 am on Friday stated. An orange alert has also been issued for Delhi-NCR. It may see gusty winds up to 70 kmph.
Other northern states
IMD has forecast scattered to fairly widespread rainfall with thunderstorms, lightning, and gusty winds (40–50 kmph) over Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh and Uttar Pradesh on May 24. Parts of Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and Rajasthan are also likely to receive light to moderate rain with gusty winds, India Today reported.
Eastern and Central India
Thunderstorms accompanied by gusty winds and widespread rainfall have been forecast across Jharkhand over the next few days.
Widespread light to moderate rain with thunderstorms and gusty winds (40–50 kmph) is likely over West Bengal, Sikkim, Chhattisgarh, Odisha and Bihar between May 24–26. Thundersqualls (50–60 kmph, gusting to 70 kmph) may hit Bihar on May 24 and May 25.
