The Southwest Monsoon, the lifeline of the agrarian economy of India, hit Kerala coast today, marking the official onset of the rainy season in the country.
The four-month rainy season, crucial to the country’s food production and economic growth, normally begins in the first week of June and cover the entire country by July 15.
The South West monsoon set in over Kerala today with most parts of the state receiving good rainfall since last evening, local Meteorological Centre said.
Conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest Monsoon into some parts of central Arabian Sea, coastal Karnataka, remaining parts of Kerala and Tamil Nadu.
The rain is expected reach Chennai on June 4, in Hyderabad on June 8, in Pune June 10 and Mumbai on June 11 and Delhi June 27.
Thick clouds have gathered over the Kerala coast and the westerly winds gathered pace since last evening. Yellow alert has been declared for nine of the 14 districts in Kerala.
Nearly half of the country’s farmland depends on annual June-September rains to grow crops such as rice, corn, cane, cotton and soybeans. The IMD said India is likely to get average monsoon rains this year, raising expectations of higher farm output.
The well marked low pressure area over Southeast and adjoining Eastcentral Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep area concentrated into a Depression over Eastcentral and adjoining Southeast Arabian Sea and lay centred at 0530 hours IST of today about 370 km southwest of Panjim (Goa), 690km south-southwest of Mumbai (Maharashtra) and 920 km south-southwest of Surat (Gujarat).
It is very likely to intensify into a Deep Depression over Eastcentral and adjoining Southeast Arabian Sea during next 12 hours and intensify further into a Cyclonic Storm over Eastcentral Arabian Sea during the subsequent 24 hours.
It is very likely to move nearly northwards initially till tomorrow Morning and then recurve north-northeastwards and cross north Maharashtra and south Gujarat coasts between Harihareshwar (Raigad, Maharashtra) and Daman during evening/ night of 3rd June .
