Southwest Monsoon makes onset over Kerala coast, delayed by two days: IMD

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New Delhi: The Southwest Monsoon made an onset over Kerala after a delay of two days, the India Meteorological Department said on Thursday. The onset marks the commencement of the four-month monsoon season in India.

"The Southwest Monsoon has made an onset over southern parts of Kerala," IMD Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra was quoted as saying to PTI. 

The onset date for Southwest Monsoon over Kerala is usually June 1 but this time it got delayed by two days.

The IMD bulletin at 1.30 pm said that more than 60 per cent of the 14 rainfall monitoring stations reported a rainfall of 2.5 mm or more in the past two days. It also pointed out that the Southwest monsoon is likely to advance into remaining parts of south Arabian sea, rest of Kerala and Lakshadweep south interior Karnataka, Rayalseema and central Bay of Bengal in the next 48 hours.

Rains hit Kerala on June 1 and cover the whole country by mid-July. Timely rains trigger the planting of crops such as rice, soybeans and cotton.

The weather department declares the arrival of monsoon rains only after parameters measuring consistency of rainfall over a defined geography, intensity, cloudiness and wind speed are satisfied.