IMD predicts onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala around June 4

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday that the southwest monsoon is expected to onset over Kerala around June 4.

Typically, monsoon arrives in Kerala around June 1, which marks the beginning of the southwest monsoon season (June-September).

"Conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into some more parts of southwest and southeast Arabian Sea, Lakshadweep Islands, some parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu around June 4," the IMD said in its daily forecast.

Moreover, monsoon will also advance in some more parts of southwest, westcentral, eastcentral and northeast Bay of Bengal, and the remaining parts of southeast Bay of Bengal around this date.

The IMD had earlier said the monsoon onset over Kerala would take place on May 26. However, it got delayed and the department, on May 29, stated that the onset could happen in the following week.

Last week, the department has said that the rainfall this season would be below normal. India is expected to see 90 per cent of the long period average (LPA) this year.

LPA refers to the rainfall recorded over a particular region for a given interval, such as a month or a season, averaged over a long period of time, typically 30 to 50 years.

The LPA of seasonal rainfall over the country as a whole, based on data from 1971 to 2020, is 87 cm. If the monsoon season sees less than 90 per cent of LPA rainfall, the IMD classifies it as "deficient".

One reason for the below-normal rainfall could be the emergence of El-Nino conditions, which lead to less rain during monsoon in the country.

Currently, neutral El Nino-Southern Oscillation conditions are transitioning towards El-Nino conditions over the equatorial Pacific region. El-Nino conditions are likely to be weak in June, and moderate to strong in September, the IMD has predicted.

(With PTI inputs)