Monsoon To Reach Kerala In May This Year, Forecasts IMD

Bhubaneswar: Conditions are favourable for southwest monsoon to make an early arrival in Kerala this year.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday said the onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala is likely to be on May 27 with error probability of plus or minus four days. Normally, the monsoon reaches the southern state in first week of June every year. Kerala, is the first state in the country which gets the monsoon rain.

As per the normal pattern of monsoon movement, south Andaman Sea gets the precipitation around May 22 and then monsoon winds proceed northwestward to reach Kerala in June first week. This time, the southwest monsoon is likely to advance into south Andaman Sea and adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal around May 15.

“In association with enhanced cross equatorial winds, conditions are becoming favourable for advance of southwest monsoon into south Andaman Sea, Nicobar Islands and some parts of southeast Bay of Bengal, around May 15,” the IMD said.

However, the Met office said the date of advance of monsoon over Andaman Sea has not association either with the date of monsoon onset in Kerala or rest of the country.

Earlier, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra had said there would be normal monsoon this year. “We have updated all-India ‘rainfall normal’ to 87 cm for southwest monsoon for 1970-2020 based on data over a long period. There will be a normal monsoon this year across the country which will receive 99% of rainfall,” he added.