Monsoon expected to arrive in Kerala on May 30

The India Meteorological Department expects the monsoon onset to happen at the normal time, around June 1 this year. The rains are expected to be normal this year.

The monsoon is set to hit the southern state of Kerala on May 30, according to the India Meteorological Department. The monsoons usually arrive around June 1 every year, so this is a normal onset time.

Monsoon is expected to hit Kerala on May 30. (ANI File Photo)

The prediction comes with a model error of ± 4 days. The monsoons have arrived early this year in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

However, the arrival of the rains in Kerala is considered significant because it signals the arrival of rainy season in the Indian subcontinent.

Farmers in rain dependent areas of the country eagerly await the arrival of the rains that feed Kharif crops like rice. This year many parts of the country are facing prolonged dry spells, they are eagerly awaiting the relief of the monsoons. Pockets of south India have been the worst affected with drought conditions persisting for years in a row.

The monsoon season in India lasts between June and September and the rains advance from the south, with northwestern India receiving rains between June 15 and July 15. The rains start withdrawing around August.

This year the IMD has predicted a normal monsoon. Though the weather agency has in the past has consistently overestimated the quantum of rainfall. The IMD’s predictions for the onset of monsoon have been fairly accurate in the past 5 years.