New Delhi, June 5
Conditions are favourable for the onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala by Friday. "Conditions are favourable for the onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala and its further advancement into parts of the south Arabian Sea, parts of Maldives-Comorin area, Tamil Nadu and Bay of Bengal during the next 24 hours (by Friday)," the India Meteorological Department weather bulletin said. As per IMD's previous forecast, the monsoon was expected to hit Kerala any time on Thursday.

"Conditions are also favourable for advancement of the southwest monsoon into some parts of the northeastern state during the next 48 hours (by Saturday)," it added.

Thunderstorm has been observed over Odisha, Assam, Konkan and Goa, coastal Karnataka and south Kerala, the department said.

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

The normal date of the onset of monsoon over Kerala is June 1. And once the monsoon sets in over the state, it advances northwards and covers the entire country by July 15.

After four years of normal and above-normal monsoon, India is expected to have below normal monsoon this year with rainfall projected to be 95 per cent, a news which is disappointing for the farming community. Officials in the weather department said the monsoon is expected to be below normal because of El-Nino effect, which is generally associated with the warming of ocean water. — Agencies