India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Monday predicted conditions favourable for the onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala during the next five days. IMD also said India is likely to receive above average monsoon rains this year.
IMD said India is likely to experience normal rainfall (92-108 per cent of long period average of 166.9 mm) in June. Barring a few parts of southern peninsular India, normal to above-normal maximum temperatures expected in country in June, it said.
IMD has said the southwest monsoon likely to hit Kerala on May 31, a day before the normal date of June 1, news agency ANI reported.
Kerala is currently experiencing pre-monsoon rains.
Last year, rainfall over the country as a whole during monsoon season (June-September), was 94 per cent of its long-period average.
According to IMD, below-normal monsoon rainfall predicted in northeast India, normal in northwest, and above normal in central and south peninsular India.
The advance of the southwest monsoon over the Indian mainland is marked by monsoon onset over Kerala. Monsoon season sees the transition from a hot and dry season to a rainy season in the country.
As the monsoon progresses northward, relief from scorching summer temperatures is experienced over the areas that it tends to cover.
Monsoon is crucial to the Indian agriculture especially kharif crops—crops sown during June-July and dependent on monsoon rains are harvested in October-November are kharif.
Earlier this year, IMD in its first long-range forecast has stated the southwest monsoon (June-September) this year is expected to be above normal (106 per cent of the long-period average). Skymet, a private forecaster, has also forecast a normal monsoon this year.
India receives over 70 per cent of its overall rainfall during this southwest monsoon period.
