Monsoon to arrive early in Kerala: IMD
Conditions are favourable for the onset of monsoon in Kerala around May 31, a day ahead of its usual date, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday. IMD scientists said the very severe Cyclonic Yaas, which ravaged Odisha and West Bengal coasts on Wednesday, helped strengthen monsoon winds.
Normally, monsoon arrives in Kerala around June 1 and covers the rest of India by mid-july.
Sunitha Devi, who is in charge of cyclones at IMD, said there is no likelihood of a low-pressure area developing immediately. “(Cyclone) Yaas has weakened. Now monsoon will gradually pick up,” she said
Mahesh Palawat, vice president, Skymet Weather, said Cyclone Yaas helped pull the monsoon current ahead in the Arabian Sea. “There was heavy to very heavy rain reported in many parts of Kerala in the last 24 hours. So, we are expecting the monsoon to arrive early.”
OP Sreejith, scientist and head, Climate Monitoring and Prediction Group, said crossequatorial flow over the Arabian Sea has strengthened because of which heavy rain was reported over Kerala. “But that is not monsoon rain. We are expecting monsoon to arrive on May 31.”
On May 14, IMD said Monsoon is likely to arrive over Kerala on May 31 a day ahead of its normal arrival date of June 1, with a possible error margin of plus/minus four days. The monsoon season is crucial for summer crops and brings about 70% of India’s annual rainfall. It is critical to the country’s agriculture, which is one of the mainstays of its economy. The monsoon impacts inflation, jobs, and industrial demand. Good farm output keeps a lid on food inflation. Ample harvests raise rural incomes and help inject demand into the economy.