Chennai: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) today said that conditions are favourable for onset of the Southwest monsoon and it is very likely to hit Kerala on June 9.
"In view of the strengthening of cross equatorial flow and deepening of westerlies over South Arabian sea and development of feeble off-shore trough along Karnataka-Kerala
coast, onset of (Southwest) monsoon over Kerala is very likely by June 9," IMD said in its mid-day bulletin.
Meanwhile, rains lashed many parts of Tamil Nadu in the last 24 hours ending 0830 hours today, the regional weather office said.
Summer rains accompanied with lightning and thunder were witnessed in many parts of the state including Chennai, it said, adding, Sembarambakkam recorded the highest rainfall
of 5 cm, followed by Chennai at 4 cm.
The weather office forecast rain at a few places in South Tamil Nadu and over one or two places in the northern parts of the state for the next 48 hours.
Thunderstorms were likely in Chennai during the period, it said.
The Southwest monsoon normally sets in over Kerala around June 1. It advances northwards, usually in surges, and covers the entire country around July 15.
Last year while the IMD forecast the onset of the Southwest monsoon by May 30, the actual onset took place on June 5.
Since 2005, the IMD has been issuing operational forecasts for the date of monsoon onset over Kerala using an indigenously developed statistical model with a model error margin of four days.
With PTI Inputs
