THIRUVANANTHAPURAM: The south-west monsoon will set in over Kerala early this year, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said. According to the government weather agency, the onset in Kerala is expected on May 29, with a model error of plus or minus four days.
The IMD has in fact confirmed indications that the monsoon will be an early arrival this year. A few days ago, private weather forecaster Skymet had announced the monsoon onset in Kerala would be on May 28. The normal date of onset is June 1 with a standard deviation of about seven days.
The event marks the start of the rainy season over the Indian subcontinent. Over the next few weeks, the monsoon will progress northward, bringing relief from the scorching summer temperatures.
IMD employs an indigenously developed statistical model for predicting the arrival of the south-west monsoon.