The south-west monsoon arrived in Kerala and Tamil Nadu today, almost a week ahead of schedule this year, heralding the beginning of the four-month (June to September) summer rainy season. The normal date for the monsoon to break over Kerala is June 1.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the south-west monsoon broke over south Kerala and south Tamil Nadu today after having covered Maldives and Lakshadweep Islands in the south-west, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the east-central Bay of Bengal.
Although the onset of the monsoon over Kerala or the north-east does not have direct correlation with the further advance or the overall performance of the monsoon during the whole season, the present current has been observed to be strong enough to bring good rainfall in at least the initial phase.
More From This Section
The IMD will issue its long-range monsoon forecast on May 25, indicating the total anticipated quantum of precipitation in the entire monsoon season. On an average, the country as a whole gets about 88 cms of rainfall during four months. Excessive rainfall in some areas and deficiency in others are common features of the monsoon precipitation.
Normally, the monsoon advances to Mumbai and Kolkata by June 10 and arrives in Delhi by June 29. It covers the bulk of the country