Monsoon may arrive early, to reach Kerala by May 31: IMD

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Monsoon may arrive early, to reach Kerala by May 31: IMD



The monsoon is likely to arrive over Kerala on May 31, a day ahead of its normal onset date of June 1, scientists at the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said as part of their forecast for the annual summer rain season that is crucial for the country's farm-dependent economy.

The southwest monsoon normally hits Kerala on June 1 and covers the rest of the country by mid-July. The last time monsoon onset was ahead of its arrival date was in 2018, when it hit Kerala on May 29.

"This year, the onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala is likely to be on May 31st with a model error of plus or minus 4 days," IMD said in a statement on Friday.

Earlier this week, private weather forecasting company Skymet Weather also projected an earlier onset date of May 30 with an error margin of +/-2 days.

CYCLONE IMPACT?

Normally, initial monsoon rains hit south Andaman Sea and monsoon winds then advance north-westwards across the Bay of Bengal. As per IMD, the monsoon typically advances over the Andaman Sea around May 22.

Source: https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news