The southwest monsoon can reach the country 4 days before the scheduled time this year. According to the Meteorological Department (IMD), the monsoon will hit the Kerala coast on May 27. Usually it arrives in Kerala on June 1.
The IMD said if the monsoon arrives on May 27, it will be the first time in 16 years that it will knock Kerala coast so early. The monsoon knocked in Kerala on May 23 in 2009 and on May 30 in 2024. Apart from this, the monsoon arrived on May 29 in 2018. IMD said that after reaching Kerala on June 1, the monsoon covers other states by July 8.
Ministry of Earth and Science Secretary M Ravichandran said – There is a likelihod of above normal rainfall during June to September. The average rainfall during 4 monsoon months is 87 cm. There may be 105 percent of average rainfall this year i.e. 5 percent more than average.
Generally, 96 to 104 percent rainfall is considered normal. An IMD official said that there is no direct relationship between the total rainfall across the country during the monsoon and the date of onset. The monsoon arriving early or late in Kerala does not mean that it will cover other parts of the country in the same way
Monsoon entry in Andaman and Nicobar is likely by May 13. IMD had said on May 9 that there is a high possibility of monsoon advancing into Andaman and Nicobar, parts of the Bay of Bengal around May 13. However, the official announcement of the arrival of monsoon season in India is made only when it reaches Kerala.
Good rain is necessary for the country’s economy. Monsoon is very important for the agriculture sector in India. About 42.3 percent of the country’s population is dependent on agriculture and it contributes 18.2 percent to the country’s gross domestic product (GDP).
