<p>Four days after missing its date with the country, the crucial South West Monsoon has finally hit Kerala.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"South West Monsoon has arrived," Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General L S Rathore said today, after the weather officials studied the rain pattern in Kerala over the last two days.<br /><br />Rathore said that there was "sluggish march" in the onset phase. Monsoon normally hits Kerala on June 1 but this year, Met department had predicted that it will hit the state on June 5.<br /><br />Since yesterday, the MeT department had been keeping a close watch on the rainfall and the wind pattern in the region before declaring the arrival of monsoon.<br /><br />"We have 13 stations in Kerala and one in Karnataka that have recorded more than 2.5 mm of rainfall over the past two days-- one of the most important criteria to declare its arrival," said Rathore.<br /><br />Continuous rain for over 48 hours with a westerly windspeed of 15 to 20 knots is among two critical parameters for declaring the arrival of monsoon, which is crucial for the country and its agro-based economy.<br /><br />Rainfall occurred at many places over Kerala and at a few places over Lakshadweep and north interior Karnataka.<br /><br />Isolated rainfall occurred over Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Coastal and South interior Karnataka in the last 48 hours.<br /><br />After four years of normal and above-normal monsoon, India is expected to have below normal monsoon this year with rainfall projected to be 95 per cent, which will be disappointing for the farming community.<br /><br />Officials in the weather department had said the monsoon is expected to be below normal because of El-Nino effect, which is generally associated with the warming of ocean water. </p>
<p>Four days after missing its date with the country, the crucial South West Monsoon has finally hit Kerala.<br /><br /></p>.<p>"South West Monsoon has arrived," Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General L S Rathore said today, after the weather officials studied the rain pattern in Kerala over the last two days.<br /><br />Rathore said that there was "sluggish march" in the onset phase. Monsoon normally hits Kerala on June 1 but this year, Met department had predicted that it will hit the state on June 5.<br /><br />Since yesterday, the MeT department had been keeping a close watch on the rainfall and the wind pattern in the region before declaring the arrival of monsoon.<br /><br />"We have 13 stations in Kerala and one in Karnataka that have recorded more than 2.5 mm of rainfall over the past two days-- one of the most important criteria to declare its arrival," said Rathore.<br /><br />Continuous rain for over 48 hours with a westerly windspeed of 15 to 20 knots is among two critical parameters for declaring the arrival of monsoon, which is crucial for the country and its agro-based economy.<br /><br />Rainfall occurred at many places over Kerala and at a few places over Lakshadweep and north interior Karnataka.<br /><br />Isolated rainfall occurred over Coastal Andhra Pradesh, Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu, Coastal and South interior Karnataka in the last 48 hours.<br /><br />After four years of normal and above-normal monsoon, India is expected to have below normal monsoon this year with rainfall projected to be 95 per cent, which will be disappointing for the farming community.<br /><br />Officials in the weather department had said the monsoon is expected to be below normal because of El-Nino effect, which is generally associated with the warming of ocean water. </p>