Kerala monsoon to start on May 27, says weather office

Southwest Monsoon is likely to arrive in Kerala on May 27 instead of the typically expected date of June 1.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said the onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala is likely to be earlier than normal. "The monsoon will start likely on May 27 with a model error of plus or minus four days".

The first of the monsoon is experienced over the south Andaman sea before advancing north-westwards across the Bay of Bengal. This year, the southwest monsoon advances over the Andaman Sea around May 22.

The IMD said the conditions in association with enhanced equatorial winds are becoming favourable for the advance of the Southwest Monsoon into South Andaman Sea, Nicobar Islands, and some parts of southeast Bay of Bengal, around May 15.

Officials also pointed out that according to past data, there is no association between the date of monsoon advance over the Andaman Sea and the date of monsoon onset over Kerala. It is also not connected to the seasonal monsoon rainfall over the country.

Finance Minister Nirmala Sitharaman had earlier indicated that the arrival of the monsoon is early awaited due to its impact on agriculture and the economy. She had earlier suggested India is entering into new economic activities that can help resolve some of the global supply chain issues.