Southwest monsoon set to advance further in Kerala from June 18, says IMD

The southwest monsoon is set to advance further into the southern peninsula and eastern parts of the country from Sunday after an initial delay in its onset over Kerala.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said Cyclone Biparjoy has completely detached itself from the monsoonal flow and will have no impact on the progress of the seasonal rainfall system.

"Had Cyclone Biparjoy moved north-westwards towards Oman, it would have affected the monsoonal flow," he said.

Mohapatra said the cyclone had helped the progress of the monsoon by strengthening the cross-equatorial flow as it lingered over the southeast Arabian Sea.

Conditions were becoming favourable for further advance of the southwest monsoon over some more parts of the south peninsula and east India and adjoining areas between June 18 and 21.

Cyclone Biparjoy's presence in the Arabian Sea had initially delayed and reduced the intensity of the onset of monsoon by pulling both moisture and convection.

The southwest monsoon hit India on June 8 with its onset over Kerala against the normal date of June 1.

Research shows that a delay in the onset of monsoon over Kerala does not necessarily mean a delay in the monsoon onset over northwest India.

India is expected to get normal rainfall during the southwest monsoon season despite the evolving El Nino conditions, the IMD had earlier said.

El Nino, which is the warming of the waters in the Pacific Ocean near South America, is generally associated with the weakening of monsoon winds and dry weather in India.

El Nino conditions this year follow three consecutive La Nina years. La Nina, which is the opposite of El Nino, typically brings good rainfall during the monsoon season.