Monsoon likely to make onset over Kerala today, red alert issued for 4 districts

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday said monsoon is expected to set in over Kerala during the next 24 hours. This year it has been delayed by a week. While the normal onset date for monsoon over Kerala is June 1, this year it is arriving in the southern state on June 8. June 1 also marks the official commencement of the four-month-long rainfall season.

In its latest monsoon bulletin, the weathermen said, "It is very likely to shift northwards gradually leading to favourable conditions for onset of Southwest Monsoon over Kerala around June 8. Conditions are likely to become favourable for advance of southwest monsoon into some parts of northeastern states during next 3-4 days".

India Meteorological Dept: Monsoon is likely to set in over Kerala during next 24 hours. pic.twitter.com/rKi5gV9Iqa

— ANI (@ANI) June 7, 2019

On Tuesday, the IMD had predicted the arrival of monsoon on June 7 while private weather forecaster Skymet too revised its forecast from June 4 to June 7. Last month, the Met Department announced the expected day of monsoon arrival over Kerala, saying it could happen on June 6, with an error margin of plus or minus four days. However, the delay in arrival may not affect the quantity of rainfall across the country.

Meanwhile, a red alert has been issued in Thrissur district on June 10 and in Ernakulam, Malappuram and Kozhikode districts on June 11. All four districts on these dates are likely to experience ‘isolated heavy to very heavy’ rainfall as part of monsoon showers. 

The orange alert has been issued in eight districts – Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Thrissur, Malappuram and Kozhikode. These districts will also experience ‘isolated heavy to very heavy’ rainfall starting June 9.

Moving on to Delhi, the IMD said the monsoon may take at least a week longer to reach the city. "Normally, the monsoon reaches Delhi by June 29. Since there's a delay in its onset in the southern peninsula, the wind system is likely to take two-three days longer to reach northwest India," according to IMD's regional weather forecasting office.

India eagerly awaits monsoon with most parts of the country reeling under severe heatwave as temperatures touched 50 degrees Celsius in some states.