On a June 1 course, aided by a depression

Weather experts said that a depression forming over the Andaman Sea around Sunday will likely ensure that monsoon arrives on time. IMD has said that a cyclonic circulation is lying over South Andaman Sea, under the influence of which a low-pressure area is likely to form by Thursday. It is then set to move northwest and intensify into a depression by Sunday. This will help in the establishment and strengthening of monsoon winds, which means that Kerala might see a timely arrival of monsoon on June 1

“The depression which is likely to form over Andaman Sea will definitely support monsoon advancement... The formation of a depression will eventually also help monsoon arrive around the normal time over Kerala around June 1 with an error margin of +/-5 days.” – ANANDA KUMAR DAS, in-charge of monitoring cyclones at IMD

“Southwest monsoon normally reaches the southern Andaman Sea around 15 May... This year, weather models are suggesting that a strong low-pressure system will form over the Bay of Bengal later this week, which would help in the establishment and strengthening of monsoon winds... Thus, we can expect a timely onset of the monsoon in this region. In fact, there is a good possibility of it happening beforehand," said Akshay Deoras, meteorologist and doctoral researcher, Dept of Meteorology, University of Reading, UK

Cyclone incoming?

This depression may also become a cyclone and move towards Odisha and West Bengal. “We are expecting the depression to intensify further to a deep depression and possibly further to a cyclone... Until a well-marked low is formed, we cannot give the exact track of how it will move or whether it will impact the coast,” Das added