Typically, the southwest monsoon sets in over Kerala around 1 June and covers the entire country by 8 July. It begins to retreat from northwest India around 17 September and withdraws completely by 15 October.According to IMD data, the monsoon’s onset over Kerala in previous years was as follows: 30 May in 2024; 8 June in 2023; 29 May in 2022; 3 June in 2021; 1 June in 2020; 8 June in 2019; and 29 May in 2018.Meteorologists have reiterated that there is no direct correlation between the onset date of the monsoon and the total rainfall received across the country during the season.“The monsoon’s arrival in Kerala, whether early or late, does not necessarily indicate how it will progress across the rest of India,” an IMD official explained, noting that the monsoon is shaped by large-scale variabilities, as well as global, regional, and local climatic factors.In its April forecast, the IMD had ruled out the possibility of El Niño conditions commonly linked with below-normal rainfall in the Indian subcontinent strengthening optimism for a healthy monsoon season this year.(With inputs from PTI)
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