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Indian Monsoon rains hit Kerala eight days before schedule

by Trans World Features | @twfindia 24 May 2025, 10:05 am

The Monsoon rains hit Indian coasts on Saturday, eight days before their usual schedule of June 1, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, giving relief to people suffering from the heatwave in a large portion of the country and promising a bumper harvest this year.

In a statement, IMD said: "The Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into remaining parts of south Arabian Sea, some parts of westcentral & eastcentral Arabian Sea, entire Lakshadweep area, Kerala, Mahe, some parts of Karnataka, remaining parts of Maldives and Comorin area; many parts of Tamil Nadu, remaining parts of southwest and eastcentral Bay of Bengal, some parts of westcentral and north Bay of Bengal, and some parts of Mizoram today, the 24th May 2025."

"Thus, the Southwest Monsoon has set in over Kerala today, the 24th May, 2025, against the normal date of 1st June," the statement said.

India depends on the Monsoon for 70 percent of the rainfall it experiences every year and plays a major role in providing water to farms and replenishing aquifers and reservoirs.

A large number of Indian farmers, with no irrigation cover, depend on the July-September rainfall for farming their lands and growing crops.

The IMD said conditions are favourable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon.

"Normally southwest monsoon set in over Kerala on 1 st June and it advances over most part of northeast India by 5th June. Thus, southwest monsoon has set in over Kerala 8 days before its normal date and over Mizoram (northeast India),12 days before the normal date," IMD said in a statement.

This is the earliest date of monsoon onset over Kerala after the year 2009 when it was set in over Kerala on 23rd May 2009.