- Kerala is all set for the southwest monsoon today (30th May), two days ahead of its normal onset date.
- Southwest monsoon usually sets in over Kerala around June 1 and progresses northward in surges, covering the entire country around July 15.
- There are three major criteria set for the declaration of monsoon over Kerala:
- Rainfall over 14 stations in Kerala and neighbouring areas should record over 2.5 mm for two consecutive days.
- The Outgoing Longwave Radiation (OLR) should be below 200 W m−2.
- The depth of the westerly winds, which should be up to 600 hPa, indicates the strength of the monsoon winds, Westerly winds should prevail up to 4.5km in height in the atmosphere.
- Kerala also witnessed some unusual weather events in this year’s summer.
- For the first time in the history of Kerala, a heatwave was confirmed.
- The monthly and seasonal forecast issued by the IMD for June and the entire four-month season has warned of above-normal rainfall in Kerala.
Dig Deeper: Which factors impact the progress of Monsoon in India?
