Southwest monsoon makes landfall in Keralam, marks official onset of rainy season
New Delhi, June 4: The southwest monsoon made its onset over Keralam on Thursday, three days late. As a result, heavy rainfall is forecast for the next seven days in Kerala, as well as in some parts of Tamil Nadu and Karnataka. In the next two to three days, it is expected to advance into entire Goa, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Andhra Pradesh, Tamil Nadu, parts of the Bay of Bengal, and the northeastern states.
According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the monsoon has advanced rapidly, covering Kerala, Lakshadweep, Mahe, Karnataka, and parts of Tamil Nadu. Furthermore, the monsoon has advanced into the remaining parts of the southwest and southeast Arabian Sea and several areas of the Bay of Bengal.
The Meteorological Department estimates that conditions are favorable for the southwest monsoon to advance further within the next two to three days. It is expected to soon reach entire Goa, Maharashtra, parts of Andhra Pradesh, remaining parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, southwest Bay of Bengal, west-central, east-central and some more parts of northeast Bay of Bengal and northeastern states.
A steady increase in dense convective clouds has been observed over the southeast Arabian Sea for the past two days, heralding the arrival of monsoon in Kerala. Westerly winds at lower levels were recorded at around 37-46 kmph, and the depth of westerly winds over the southeast Arabian Sea extends up to 4.5 km above sea level.
Widespread, and at some places heavy, rainfall has been recorded over most parts of Kerala in the past 48 hours. Palluruthy (Ernakulam) received 9 cm of rain, Mattancherry (Ernakulam) and Kochi IAF, Cherthala (Alappuzha) received 8 cm, Vaikom (Kottayam) received 7 cm, Aluva, Kumarakom, Neyyattinkara, Peermade, Kalamassery, Kurudamannil, Vadavathur, Kochi CIAL received 6 cm, and many areas including Thaikottussery, Idukki, Thiruvananthapuram, Thodupuzha, Munnar, and Kannur received 3-5 cm of rain. Several parts of Palakkad, Wayanad, Malappuram, Kasaragod, and Kozhikode received 1-2 cm of rain.
It is noteworthy that the southwest monsoon usually reaches Kerala on June 1. Last year, in 2025, the southwest monsoon arrived in Kerala on May 24. It then arrived in Delhi on June 29, nine days earlier than normal.
Within a month and a half of arriving in Kerala, it covers the entire country. It begins its return via Rajasthan around September 17 and concludes by October 15.
This is the seventh time in the last 10 years that the monsoon has arrived late.
