Monsoon to be delayed by 4 days in Kerala this year

For the last three years, monsoon has usually arrived in Kerala on time, around June 1 - the usual date for the onset of the monsoon season, as per IMD data.  

Kerala's monsoon this year may be four days later than usual, according to a news statement from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Monsoon season typically begins in the southern state on June 1. However, this year, the monsoon season is expected to begin at June 4.

“This year, the southwest monsoon onset over Kerala is likely be slightly delayed than normal date of onset. The monsoon onset over Kerala is likely to be on 4th June with a model error of ± 4 days,” the IMD said in a statement.

The IMD said in a press statement that, with the exception of 2015, their operational projections of the beginning of the monsoon over Kerala for the previous 18 years (2005-2022) were proven to be accurate. The onset of monsoon Kerala will lead to the end of the summer season, marked by dry and scorching weather.

The monsoon arrived in the southern state on May 29 in 2022, June 3 in 2021 and June 1 in 2020. The IMD has not announced when the onset of monsoon will begin in other parts of the country.

The IMD said there is a 35 per cent probability of monsoon being normal, 29 per cent chance of it being below normal, 22 per cent possibility of it being deficient, 11 per cent chance of monsoon being above normal, and only 3 per cent chance of it being excess. 

IMD data show that so far this year, areas like Punjab, Haryana, Delhi, Rajasthan, Uttar Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu & Kashmir, Ladakh, and Uttarakhand have had an 18% surplus of rainfall.