The South-West monsoon hit the Kerala coast today, which is its earliest onset since 2009, the weather bureau has said. The normal date for the onset of the monsoon is June 1. For the first time, monsoon also covered parts of Karnataka, upto Chennai (Tamil Nadu) and Mizoram, simultaneously on the onset day, scientists said, adding that once it hit Karnataka before reaching Kerala in the 1990s.

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Amid predictions for “above normal” monsoon rainfall this year, along with unusually high pre-monsoon rainfall, at 70 per cent above the normal of 44.7 mm, during May 1-24, the early arrival will also help farmers start sowing Kharif crops.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) in an official release issued on May 10 predicted that “the South-West monsoon is likely to set over Kerala on May 27, with a model error of ± 4 days.” The monsoon arrived in the Andaman and Nicobar Islands on May 13, a week earlier than its scheduled date of May 20.

“The Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of the south Arabian Sea, some parts of west-central and east-central Arabian Sea, the entire Lakshadweep area, Kerala, Mahe, some parts of Karnataka, remaining parts of the Maldives and Comorin area, many parts of Tamil Nadu, and some parts of Mizoram today, 24 May 2025. Thus, the monsoon has set in over Kerala today, the May 24, 2025, against the normal date of June 1,” IMD said in a statement.

The northern limit of monsoon passes through 13°N/55°E, 13°N/60°E, 13.5°N/65°E, 15°N/70°E, Karwar, Shimoga, Dharmapuri, Chennai, 15°N/83°E, 18°N/87°E, Saiha, 25°N/96°E, 27°N/98°E, it said.

Over the next 2-3 days, conditions are favourable for the monsoon’s advance into Goa, some parts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, some more parts of Karnataka and the north-eastern States and remaining parts of Tamil Nadu, IMD said.

In 2009, a drought year, the monsoon hit the Kerala coast on May 23. Last year, the monsoon hit Kerala and most parts of North-East India simultaneously on May 30.

During May 1-24, the Central meteorological subdivision comprising Gujarat, Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Odisha has received 58.7 mm rainfall, which is more than four times of its normal 13 mm. Similarly, the south peninsula region has reported 134 per cent higher rainfall at 121 mm.

Even, the north-west, east and north-east region which had “below normal” rainfall with a deficit ranging between 21-28 per cent during April have reported higher than normal rain this month. While the north-west India has reported 13 per cent above average of 26.8 mm, the east and north-east region subdivision has 6 per cent higher than normal of 137.7 mm during May 1-24, IMD data show.

The south-west monsoon that contributes 75 per cent of India’s annual rainfall is key to achieve the target foodgrains production during the Kharif season. The IMD has already predicted this year monsoon rainfall may be 105 per cent of the long-period average (LPA) of 87 cm, with an error margin of plus or minus five per cent.

According to IMD’s classification, rainfall between 96 per cent and 104 per cent of LPA is considered “normal” and between 105 per cent and 110 per cent is categorised as “above normal”.

The government has set the Kharif season’s production target of all foodgrains at 168.88 million tonnes (mt), which includes 120.75 mt of rice, 7.74 mt of pulses (tentatively), 26 mt of maize and 14.39 mt of nutri cereals. The aim is also to have 28.37 mt of oilseeds, 467 mt of sugarcane and 33.9 million bales (of 170 kg each bale) of cotton in this Kharif.

Published on May 24, 2025