Monsoon knocks in Kerala only on June 1
The southwest monsoon usually hits Kerala on June 1 and can start seven days earlier or seven days later. In mid-May, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) had said that monsoon could hit Kerala by June 4. But the IMD said in a statement on Sunday, conditions are becoming favorable with an increase in westerly winds over the South Arabian Sea. Also, the depth of the westerlies is gradually increasing and today, on 4th June, the depth of the westerlies reached 2.1 km above mean sea level. The cloud mass is also increasing over the Southeast Arabian Sea, he said. We expect these favorable conditions for the onset of Monsoon over Kerala to improve further during the next 3-4 days. This is being continuously monitored and further updates will be provided tomorrow (Monday).