Monsoon enters Kerala, earliest since 2009

The southwest monsoon set in over Kerala on Saturday against its normal date of June 1. This is the earliest onset of monsoon over the Indian mainland since 2009, when it reached the southern state on May 23.

The entry of southwest monsoon, which accounts for 75 per cent of India's rainfall, determines the monsoon season over the rest country. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the country on an average would witness above-normal rainfall. A good monsoon season boosts agricultural production and keeps food inflation in check.

The IMD said weather conditions were favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into some parts of central Arabian Sea, Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, entire Goa, and parts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, west central and north Bay of Bengal in the next two to three days.

The Met Department said some parts of Maharashtra, Goa, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and Puducherry would experience heavy rainfall till May 26. Heatwave to severe heatwave conditions would prevail at many places of west Rajasthan from May 24 to May 27 and in isolated pockets of east Rajasthan during May 24-26, it added. Jammu, Punjab, Haryana and Chandigarh will witness heatwave conditions till May 27.

“Warm night conditions are very likely in a few pockets of Punjab, Haryana Chandigarh and Delhi during May 24-27 and in west Rajasthan from May 24 to May 26,” the IMD said.

However, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand will experience light rainfall along with thunderstorms during May 24-29. The Northeast region too will witness light rainfall for the next one week.