Daijiworld Media Network- New Delhi
New Delhi, May 24: The southwest monsoon arrived over Kerala on Saturday, marking the earliest onset on the Indian mainland since 2009, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced. Typically, the monsoon reaches Kerala by June 1 and covers the entire country by July 8, with the withdrawal starting around mid-September and ending by mid-October.
Recent years have seen varied arrival dates, with Kerala experiencing the monsoon as early as May 29 in 2018 and as late as June 8 in 2023. Despite the early onset this year, meteorologists caution against linking the arrival date directly to the total seasonal rainfall. According to IMD officials, the timing of the monsoon’s arrival is influenced by a complex interplay of global, regional, and local climatic factors and does not necessarily indicate how the rains will progress across other parts of India.
The IMD’s April forecast had predicted above-normal rainfall for the 2025 monsoon season, with no expected impact from El Niño conditions, which often bring deficient rains to the subcontinent.
Southern India is expected to see heavy to extremely heavy rainfall, particularly in Kerala, coastal and south interior Karnataka, and parts of Konkan and Goa, continuing through May 29. The weather will be accompanied by strong gusty winds reaching speeds of 40 to 50 kilometers per hour. Neighboring states such as Tamil Nadu, Telangana, and Andhra Pradesh are forecasted to experience scattered showers and thunderstorms over the next several days.
Western India is bracing for severe weather conditions with red alerts issued for Maharashtra’s coastal districts and Goa. Mumbai may witness thunderstorms with lightning and moderate rains along with winds gusting up to 50 kmph in isolated areas. Goa has also been urged by the state government to avoid rivers and waterfalls due to safety concerns amid heavy rainfall that has already affected several parts of the coastal state.
Northern states including Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh are expected to receive rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms and gusty winds. Light to moderate rainfall is also forecast for Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh, and Rajasthan.
Meanwhile, eastern and central India will see widespread showers and thunderstorms, particularly in Jharkhand, West Bengal, Sikkim, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, and Bihar, with winds reaching up to 60–70 kmph in some regions. Cooler temperatures are expected to prevail until the end of May across many parts of the country as the monsoon season progresses.
The early arrival of the monsoon brings hope for a bountiful season but also a need for preparedness as various parts of India brace for heavy rains and strong winds in the coming days.