Monsoon To Keep Date With Kerala: IMD

Southwest monsoon is likely to arrive over Kerala around May 31, setting the stage for the four-month rainfall season crucial for India's farm-based economy.

- TARUNI GANDHI

"This year, the Southwest Monsoon is likely to set over Kerala on May 31 with a model error of four days," the India Meteorological Department said on Wednesday.

"This is not early; it's close to the normal date,” IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said.

The date of monsoon onset over Kerala has varied widely over the last 150 years, the earliest being May 11, 1918, and the most delayed being June 18, 1972, according to IMD data.