Monsoon hits Kerala, Northeast; two days ahead of schedule

New Delhi: The southwest monsoon today hit Kerala and the Northeast, two days ahead of the scheduled arrival of the crucial seasonal rainfall.

Cyclone Mora, which hit the Bangladesh coast today, aided the advance of the monsoon, director general of the India Meteorological Department K J Ramesh said.

The news will bring cheer to farmers, especially from the drought-hit states of Tamil Nadu, Kerala and Karnataka. More than 50 per cent of the country's farmers rely on monsoon for growing their produce.

The normal onset date for the monsoon in Kerala, which marks its official arrival in the country, is June 1. Last year, the monsoon hit Kerala on June 8, seven days after its scheduled onset date.

This year, however, it has arrived two days before its scheduled date.

"Southwest monsoon has set in over Kerala today. It has also advanced into some parts of northeastern states (some parts of Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Arunachal Pradesh)," the IMD said.

Conditions are favourable for further advance of the southwest monsoon into remaining parts of south Arabian Sea, Lakshadweep area and Kerala, some parts of central Arabian Sea, coastal and south interior Karnataka.

It is also likley to advance into some more parts of Tamil Nadu, southwest, west central and east central Bay of Bengal, most parts of northeast Bay of Bengal and some more parts of northeastern states during the next three-four days.

In its initial forecast, the IMD has predicted a 'normal' rainfall, owing to reduction in the likelihood of El-Nino, a phenomenon associated with warming of the Pacific waters.

The IMD will come up with its second forecast for the season in the first week of June.

Along with India, the monsoon also arrived in parts of Bangladesh and Myanmar today.

Sri Lanka, where the monsoon arrived on May 20, has been witnessing heavy rainfall that has claimed nearly 200 lives.

The southwest monsoon had hit the Andaman and Nicobar islands on May 14, three days ahead of its scheduled arrival.