Monsoon sets in early over Kerala, northeast
New Delhi: The southwest monsoon has arrived in Kerala and the northeastern region ahead of schedule on Thursday, heralding the commencement of the vital four-month rainfall period essential for India’s agrarian economy.
Cyclone Remal’s passage through West Bengal and Bangladesh last Sunday is believed to have influenced the monsoon’s early arrival in the Bay of Bengal, according to meteorologists.
Previously, on May 15, the meteorological department predicted the monsoon’s arrival in Kerala by May 31.
It is a rare occurrence for the monsoon to simultaneously begin in Kerala and the northeast, with previous instances recorded in 2017, 1997, 1995, and 1991.
The India Meteorological Department confirmed today, May 30, 2024, that the southwest monsoon has commenced in Kerala and has progressed into most parts of the northeast.
The department also noted that the monsoon has enveloped much of the northeastern region, including all of Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Arunachal Pradesh, and portions of Tripura, Meghalaya, and Assam.
Since 1971, the earliest monsoon onset in Kerala was on May 18, 1990. Other early arrivals were noted on May 22, 1999, and May 23 in both 1974 and 2009.
Kerala has experienced significant rainfall in recent days, leading to an excess of precipitation for May, as per weather office records.
Typically, the monsoon begins in Kerala on June 1 and in the northeastern states of Arunachal Pradesh, Tripura, Nagaland, Meghalaya, Mizoram, Manipur, and Assam by June 5.
The IMD declares the monsoon’s onset over Kerala when more than 14 weather stations in the state and adjacent areas record at least 2.5 mm of rainfall over two consecutive days post-May 10, coupled with low Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) and southwesterly wind direction.
The monsoon season is pivotal for India’s agriculture, with 52 per cent of the net sown area dependent on it. It also plays a crucial role in refilling reservoirs vital for drinking water and power generation nationwide.
The months of June and July are particularly critical for agricultural activities, as they mark the primary sowing period for the Kharif crops.
Currently, El Nino conditions prevail, but scientists anticipate the onset of La Nina by August-September.
El Nino, characterised by the periodic warming of central Pacific Ocean waters, typically results in weaker monsoon winds and reduced rainfall in India. Conversely, La Nina is known to enhance monsoon precipitation.
