The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said the southwest monsoon is all set to hit Kerala in the next four to five days as conditions are becoming favorable.

If the monsoon hits on the predicted date, it will be a day before the earlier prediction of the weather department to onset on May 27.

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If the monsoon arrives in Kerala as per the predicted date, it will be the earliest onset over the Indian mainland since 2009, when it began on May 23, according to IMD data.

The conditions are also likely to become favorable for further advance of southwest monsoon over some more parts of South Arabian Sea, remaining parts of Maldives and Comorin area; some parts of Lakshadweep, Kerala, Tamil Nadu; some more parts South & Central Bay of Bengal, Northeast Bay of Bengal and some parts of Northeastern states during the same time, it added.

As per the IMD data, last year, the monsoon arrived on May 30, a day before the expected date while in 2023; it set over on June 8.

The weather department stated that the advance of the southwest monsoon over the Indian mainland is marked by monsoon onset over Kerala and is an important indicator characterizing the transition from the hot and dry season to the rainy season.

Southwest monsoon normally sets in over Kerala on 1st June with a standard deviation of about 7 days.

It typically covers the entire country by July 8. It starts withdrawing from northwest India around September 17 and completes by October 15.

The southwest monsoon accounts for three-fourths of India’s total annual rainfall and during this; average rainfall over the plains is about 87 percent.

Its significance lies in its critical role in replenishing water resources and supporting agriculture across the country.