New Delhi, May 31
The monsoon today arrived in Kerala, a day before its normal onset date of June 1. The India Meteorological Department reported widespread rainfall in the state as also coastal Karnataka, south Tamil Nadu and northeastern states.

The IMD announced that the southwest monsoon further advanced into most parts of the south Arabian Sea, entire Kerala, south Tamil Nadu and some more parts of the southwest Bay of Bengal and conditions were favourable for further advancement of the monsoon into some parts of central Arabian Sea, coastal and south interior Karnataka and Goa on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The monsoon’s advance will also depend upon the intensity and the direction of the movement of the low-pressure area currently lying over the central Arabian Sea. The IMD said the heat wave conditions had abated in northwest India, however, it continued to prevail in many parts of Vidarbha and isolated pockets of Telangana. The highest maximum temperature of 46.1°C was recorded at Nagpur (Maharashtra).

The onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala signals the arrival of monsoon over the Indian subcontinent and represents beginning of the rainy season over the region.

Incidentally, onset does not dictate the spread and distribution of rains in the four-month monsoon season. Last year, the monsoon onset was early, but it fizzled out and the country saw a drought-like situation in many states, hitting kharif sowing and dwindled output of key summer crops like rice, pulses and oilseeds.

But the onset of monsoon over the Andaman Sea will set the stage for the summer rain season that powers the country’s agriculture-driven economy. The early onset will benefit kharif sowing.

The IMD had forecast a normal June-September monsoon this year and weathermen are keeping fingers crossed for good, healthy and widespread monsoon this year.

The monsoon usually hits Mumbai by June 10 and arrives over Delhi by June 29. The whole country gets covered by July 15. In 2008, the monsoon in Delhi arrived a record 14 days before its usual date of June 29, taking even the weather office by surprise.