Kerala to get monsoon rains by May 27: IMD

New Delhi: Southwest monsoon, considered the lifeline of India's agri-based economy, is likely to bring first showers to Kerala by May 27, earlier than the normal onset date, the weather office announced on Friday.

The normal onset date for monsoon over Kerala is June 1.

This year, the onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala is likely to be earlier than the normal date of onset. The monsoon onset over Kerala is likely to be on May 27 with a model error of four days, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

The early arrival of the southwest monsoon comes at a time when parts of north-west India are experiencing extremely high maximum temperatures.

Monsoon is likely to make early onset over Andaman and Nicobar Islands by May 15, the weather office said.