Zeenews Bureau
Thiruvananthapuram, June 05: In news that will bring smiles on everyone’s face, especially those who have been reeling under the intense heat wave in North and East India, the South-West Monsoon knocked on Kerala’s doors on Tuesday.
The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had yesterday announced that Monsoon rains would hit the Kerala coast in the next 48 hours. However, the same has happened sooner than expected.
Monsoon generally arrives on Kerala’s shores on June 1, but the same had got delayed due to cyclonic pressure over the Arabian Sea.
"It's been raining in Kerala for the past few days, but the parameters suggest that the Monsoon has arrived today," BP Yadav, director at the India Meteorological Department, told a news agency.
"As of now the monsoonal flow is strong and Kerala and parts of South Karnataka will continue to get rains for the next two to three days," D Sivananda Pai, Director, National Climate Centre and lead forecaster for Monsoon, said.
Pai said conditions were favourable for further advance of Monsoon.
As per the IMD, Monsoon rains would arrive in Karnataka, Maharashtra, Konkan region and Goa in the next two days.
Further, Mumbai can hope to get Monsoon rains in the next two-three days. The Monsoon is expected to arrive in Kolkata on June 10-12.
The national capital Delhi is likely to witness the onset of Monsoon in the last week of June. Delhi meanwhile will continue to experience thunder showers. Also, in a respite for Delhiites, the IMD said the capital city is not likely to experience heat wave anymore.
Monsoon watchers attribute the slight delay in the onset of Monsoon to Typhoon Mawar which was active in western Pacific Ocean off the Philippines and sucking away moisture and wind currents to power itself.
The IMD declares the onset of Monsoon over Kerala when 50 per cent of the 14 observation stations in the state and Lakshadweep islands report rainfall for 48 hours.
The onset of Monsoon rains brightens the prospects of higher farm output as farmers can plant summer-sown crops such as rice, soybean and cotton on time.
The annual rains are crucial for farm output and economic growth as about 55 percent of India’s arable land is rain-fed, and farm sector accounts for about 15 percent of a nearly USD 2-trillion economy, Asia's third-biggest.
India is the world's second-biggest producer of rice, wheat, sugar and cotton and also one of the largest consumers, with a population of about 1.2 billion.
First Published: Tuesday, June 05, 2012, 13:03