Southwest Monsoon Reaches Kerala, Earliest Onset Since 2016; IMD Predicts Heavy Rainfall

Thiruvananthapuram: The Southwest Monsoon arrived in Kerala on Saturday, May 24, a week earlier than its schedule. Notably, it is the earliest onset of the monsoon in 16 years, as per the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

In 2001 and 2009, the monsoon arrived in the southern state a week earlier. The normal date for the onset of the monsoon in Kerala is June 1. The earliest recorded onset of the monsoon in Kerala was in May 1918, when it arrived on May 18. Meanwhile, the record for the late arrival of the monsoon in the southern state was in 1972. In that year, it hit Kerala on June 18.

"The conditions are likely to become favourable for Monsoon onset over Kerala during next 2 days," the IMD said on Friday.

"The conditions are also likely to become favourable for further advance of southwest Monsoon over some more parts of South Arabian Sea, remaining parts of Maldives and Comorin area; some parts of Lakshadweep area, Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu; some more parts South & Central Bay of Bengal, North Bay of Bengal and some parts of Northeastern states during the same period," it added.

The IMD predicted extremely heavy rainfall in Kerala, coastal and south interior Karnataka, and Konkan and Goa on Saturday, May 24.

"Fairly widespread to widespread light/moderate rainfall accompanied with thunderstorm, lightning & gusty winds speed reaching 40-50 kmph with isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall likely over Kerala, Karnataka during 23rd-29th May," the IMD said.

" Heavy to very heavy rainfall at a few places with extremely heavy falls recorded at isolated places over Konkan & Goa; Heavy to very heavy rainfall at isolated places over Coastal Karnataka, Odisha, Coastal Andhra Pradesh," the MeT department added.