Monsoon sets in over Kerala and northeast

"Southwest monsoon has set in over Kerala and advanced into most parts of northeast India today, the 30 May, 2024," the IMD said.

ByPTI

Published May 30, 2024 | 2:49 PM Updated May 30, 2024 | 2:49 PM

Monsoon Kerala

Spurred by cyclone Remal, the southwest monsoon set in over the Kerala coast and parts of the northeast on Thursday, 30 May, a day earlier than forecast by the weather office.

Weather scientists said the cyclone, which ripped through West Bengal and Bangladesh on Sunday, had pulled the monsoonal flow to the Bay of Bengal, which could be one of the reasons for early onset over the northeast.

“Southwest monsoon has set in over Kerala and advanced into most parts of northeast India today, the 30 May, 2024,” the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

On 15 May, the weather office announced the onset of monsoon over Kerala by 31 May.

Also Read: Kerala receives moderate rainfall

Rains in Kerala

Kerala has been receiving heavy rains for the past few days resulting in a surplus of May rainfall, the weather office data showed.

The normal monsoon onset date for Kerala is 1 June and for Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur and Assam is 5 June.

The IMD declares the onset of monsoon over Kerala anytime after 10 May over 14 stations there and neighbouring areas receive 2.5 mm or more rainfall for two consecutive days, the Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) is low, and the direction of the winds is southwesterly.

El Nino conditions are prevailing at present, and La Nina may set in by August-September, scientists said.

El Nino — the periodic warming of surface waters in the central Pacific Ocean — is associated with weaker monsoon winds and drier conditions in India. La Nina — the antithesis of El Nino — leads to plentiful rainfall during the monsoon season.

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