The southwest monsoon is likely to hit India’s southern coast after a delay of two days, by June 3, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday, reported PTI.  The news agency earlier quoted IMD scientist Rahul M saying that the “conditions are likely to become favourable for the onset of the Southwest Monsoon over Kerala around May 31”.

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M Mohapatra, Director General of IMD, said that there is a cyclonic circulation along the coast in Karnataka, which was impeding the progress of the southwest monsoon, reported PTI.  

“The southwesterly winds could strengthen further gradually from June 1, resulting in likely enhancement in rainfall activity over Kerala. Hence the monsoon onset over Kerala is likely to take place around June 3”, said IMD, reported PTI.

The usual date of the arrival of the monsoon in Kerala is June 1.

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In the state, nearly half of the farmland is not supported by
any irrigation system and depends on annual monsoon showers between the months of
June and September, leading to cultivation of crops such as rice, corn, cane,
cotton and soybeans.

Earlier, the IMD had announced arrival of monsoon in Andaman
and Nicobar Islands on May 21.

The weather office had noted in April that India was expected
to get average monsoon rainfall in 2021.

States on the western coast such as Maharashtra, Goa,
Karnataka and Kerala, as well as West Bengal and Odisha in the east coast have
received scattered, heavy spells of rain in the last few weeks due to cyclonic
storms Tauktae and Yaas.