Southwest Monsoon Arrives in Kerala, India Meteorological Department Reports
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- India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced the arrival of the southwest monsoon in Kerala on June 4, 2026, later than the usual June 1 onset.
- The IMD forecasts below-normal rainfall for the season, around 90% of the long-period average, potentially influenced by developing El Niño conditions.
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The southwest monsoon has arrived in Kerala on Thursday, June 4, 2026, marking the beginning of the country's four-month rainy season, which typically spans from June to September. This announcement was made by the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The IMD stated, "The southwest monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of southwest and southeast Arabian Sea, some parts of west central and east central Arabian Sea, entire Lakshadweep islands, Kerala and some parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, remaining parts of Comorin area, southeast Bay of Bengal and some more parts of southwest, west central, east central and north east Bay of Bengal today the 4th June, 2026."
This onset of the monsoon is later than the IMD's earlier forecast of May 26. The normal arrival date for the southwest monsoon in Kerala is around June 1.
The development follows shortly after the weather department revised its forecast for the seasonal rainfall outlook, indicating that the rainfall across the country is expected to be below normal this year. The IMD anticipates that India will receive rainfall amounting to approximately 90% of the long-period average (LPA) for the season.
The LPA is defined as the average rainfall recorded in a specific region over a defined period, such as a month or season, averaged over a long duration, typically 30 to 50 years. Based on rainfall data collected from 1971 to 2020, the country's seasonal LPA is recorded at 87 cm.
The IMD classifies monsoon season rainfall as 'deficient' if it falls below 90% of the LPA.
Meteorologists have suggested that the potential development of El Niño conditions could be a contributing factor to the expected lower rainfall during the monsoon season. Currently, neutral El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions are observed to be gradually shifting towards El Niño conditions over the equatorial Pacific Ocean.
The IMD further indicated that El Niño conditions are likely to remain weak throughout June and may strengthen to moderate or strong levels by September. (With PTI inputs)
