BENGALURU: The state will see the onset of monsoon on June 5 even as rains are likely to arrive a few days earlier on May 29 in Kerala. The south-west monsoon will be normal in the state this year after irregular rains across the state last year, according to the Meteorological Department. In 2017, there was excess rainfall in south and north Karnataka with a deficit in coastal areas.
This year, a normal monsoon will bring cheer to farmers who have had to fight fluctuating rains. In an earlier forecast, the Meteorological Department had predicted rainfall between June and September to be 97 per cent of the long period average which is a normal monsoon. On Sunday, officials confirmed the same.
“In the past 40 years of data, the onset of monsoon has been around June 5 and this year it is expected to hit south interior Karnataka around the same date. The rains will spread to all parts of the state within 4 days of June 5,” said CS Patil, Director, Meterological Department, Bengaluru.
A detailed forecast is expected to be issued in the next few days. Currently, pre-monsoon showers are being observed over several parts of the state including Bengaluru. According to the Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Center, all regions of the state will continue to recieve rainfall over the next few days and the pre-monsoon showers will stop ahead of the arrival of the monsoon.