The monsoon is set to arrive in Kerala within the next 24 hours, nearly a week ahead of its usual schedule. This year's onset in Kerala is set to be the earliest in the last 16 years.
All favourable conditions for the onset of the monsoon have developed over the state, with heavy rainfall lashing several parts of Kerala over the past two days due to a combination of a low-pressure area and the advancing monsoon system.
The last time the monsoon arrived this early in the state was in 2009 and 2001, when it reached the state on May 23.
The normal date for the monsoon's onset over Kerala is June 1. However, the earliest recorded arrival was on May 11 in the year 1918. On the other hand, the record for the late onset was in 1972, when monsoon rains began as late as June 18.
In the last 25 years, the most delayed arrival occurred in 2016, when the monsoon entered Kerala on June 9.
In the southern states, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) predicted isolated extremely heavy rainfall over Kerala, coastal and south interior Karnataka, and Konkan and Goa on Saturday.
Very heavy rainfall is also expected over Tamil Nadu and interior Maharashtra, the IMD said. Additionally, heavy to very heavy showers are likely in parts of Gujarat.
A depression has formed over the east-central Arabian Sea near the south Konkan coast and was located about 40 km northwest of Ratnagiri early on May 24. It is expected to move eastwards and cross the coast between Ratnagiri and Dapoli later this morning.
Heavy to extremely heavy rainfall is likely over Kerala, Coastal Karnataka, and parts of Maharashtra through May 29, with gusty winds reaching 40–50 kmph. Isolated extremely heavy rain is forecast over Kerala and Coastal Karnataka till May 26. Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh will also see scattered showers and thunderstorms over the next five days, the weather department said.
