The southwest monsoon hit Kerala on Friday marking the start of the rainy season, four days after its normal onset date.
“Southwest monsoon has set in over Kerala on June 5 as against the normal date of June 1,” the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.
“The monsoon has further advanced into entire south Arabian Sea, some more parts of central Arabian Sea, entire Lakshadweep area and Kerala, some parts of coastal and southern interior Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, remaining parts of southeast Bay of Bengal and some parts of central and northeast Bay of Bengal,” it said.
The IMD said conditions were favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into some parts of Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, some more parts of Rayalaseema and coastal Andhra Pradesh, and northeast India in next 48 hours.
The Met department had initially predicted that this year the rainy season would make its fall on May 30 with “below normal” monsoon, but later downgraded its forecast to “deficient” rainfall.
Heavy rainfall exceeding 7 cm will occur at isolated places in Kerala in the next 12 hours, according to an update from the Meteorological Department in Thiruvananthapuram.
Fishermen have been warned that strong winds from southwesterly direction, with speed occasionally reaching 45-55 kmph, are likely along and off the coast of Kerala and Lakshadweep islands during the next 24 hours. — PTI
Conditions favourable for its further advance: IMD
