Late By a Week, Monsoon Finally Hits Kerala But 'Not a Thumping Start' | Know Weathermen's Forecast

Monsoon hit Kerala on Thursday, bringing crop-nourishing rains to the southern tip of the country, India Meteorological Department said. “Southwest monsoon has set in over Kerala today, the 8th June, 2023, against the normal date of 1st June,” the IMD said in a statement.

The MeT department further said that the southwest monsoon has advanced into remaining parts of south Arabian Sea and some parts of central Arabian Sea. This includes entire Lakshadweep area, most parts of Kerala, most parts of south Tamil Nadu, remaining parts of Comorin area, Gulf of Mannar and some more parts of southwest, central and northeast Bay of Bengal.

“There has also been widespread rainfall over Kerala during past 24 hours. This, considering the conditions, it can be said that southwest monsoon has set over Kerala,” the IMD stated.

Many states have already begun preparations for rains. Karnataka deputy chief minister DK Shivakumar was on Thursday spotted travelling on a bus and taking stock of the drainage system of several places in Bengaluru.

The meteorologists had predicted a “mild” monsoon onset over Kerala as cyclone ‘Biparjoy’, the first storm brewing in the Arabian Sea this year, rapidly intensified into a very severe cyclonic storm. The experts. however, said that the monsoon activity will have a “weak” progress beyond the southern peninsula under its influence.

The increase in cyclone activity in the Arabian Sea is tightly linked to the rising ocean temperatures and increased availability of moisture under global warming. The Arabian Sea used to be cool, but now it is a warm pool, Roxy Mathew Koll, climate scientist at the Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology, said.

The private weather forecaster Skymet had predicted the onset to be around June 9. Mahesh Palawat, vice president (climate and meteorology) Skymet Weather, had said though the criteria for monsoon onset can be met, it will not be a thumping start. After the onset over Kerala, the monsoon will remain “weak” until the storm degenerates around June 12.