IMD says monsoon will hit Kerala three days before its scheduled arrival

People travel in the rain as monsoon hits Kozhikode on Tuesday. Pic/PTI

The southwest monsoon on Tuesday hit Kerala, three days before its scheduled arrival, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said. The conditions are favourable for further advance of the monsoon into some parts of central Arabian Sea, remaining parts of Kerala, parts of coastal and south interior Karnataka, parts of east central and northeast Bay of Bengal, and some parts of northeastern states during the next 48 hours, it said. The onset of monsoon over the southern state of Kerala marks the commencement of the four-month long rainy season in the country.

As the rains make its way

"Today, the southwest monsoon has further advanced into remaining parts of southeast Arabian Sea, Comorin Maldives area, entire Lakshadweep, most parts of Kerala, some parts of Tamil Nadu and some more parts of southwest, central and northeast Bay of Bengal. Thus, the southwest monsoon has set in over Kerala on May 29, 2018, three days ahead of its normal date," the IMD said.

The official onset date for arrival of monsoon in the country was June 1 and it takes more than a month-and-half to cover the entire country. The usual date for the monsoon over Sri Ganganagar in Rajasthan, its last post, is July 15. This is the second consecutive year when the monsoon has made an early arrival. Last year, the annual rainy season commenced on May 30.