IMD forecasts southwest monsoon to arrive in Kerala on May 26, earlier than normal date.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) forecasts the southwest monsoon to arrive in Kerala on May 26, earlier than its normal date of June 1. The monsoon has already reached the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Bay of Bengal. While the arrival date doesn't correlate with rainfall quantum, the IMD and other agencies have warned of "below normal" rainfall this year, primarily due to the likely development of an El Niño event in the central equatorial Pacific. The IMD has specific criteria for declaring monsoon onset, including rainfall, wind speed, and cloud density thresholds across meteorological stations in Kerala and parts of Karnataka.
Key Points
- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicts the southwest monsoon will arrive in Kerala on May 26.
- This arrival date is earlier than the normal onset date of June 1 for Kerala.
- The monsoon has already advanced to the Andaman and Nicobar Islands and the Bay of Bengal.
- IMD has warned of "below normal" rainfall this year, largely due to the anticipated El Niño event.
- The IMD uses specific criteria, including rainfall, wind speed, and cloud density, to declare the monsoon's onset.
Exam Facts
- IMD forecast for monsoon arrival in Kerala: May 26.
- Normal monsoon arrival date in Kerala: June 1.
- Monsoon arrived in Kerala on May 24 in 2025 (earliest since 2009).
- Predicted rainfall: "below normal" due to El Niño.
- Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences: M. Ravichandran.
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