New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday informed about the onset of the Southwest Monsoon over Kerala. The monsoon reached Kerala on June 4, three days later than its normal onset date of June 1.

According to the IMD, the Southwest Monsoon has advanced into the remaining parts of the southwest and southeast Arabian Sea, sections of the west-central and east-central Arabian Sea, the entire Lakshadweep region, Kerala and Mahe, parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and several areas of the Bay of Bengal.

The weather agency said conditions are favourable for the monsoon to progress further into Goa, parts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, more areas of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and some northeastern states over the next two to three days.

Explaining the reasons behind the monsoon onset, the IMD noted that convective cloud activity had increased over the southeast Arabian Sea during the past two days. Strong westerly winds extending up to 4.5 km above mean sea level, with speeds of 20-25 knots in the lower atmosphere, were observed. Kerala also witnessed widespread rainfall, including isolated heavy showers, during this period.

The IMD said all the required meteorological conditions for declaring the onset of the Southwest Monsoon over Kerala had been met, leading to the official announcement on June 4.