Southwest Monsoon Marks Earliest Arrival Over Kerala In 16 Years, Heavy Rains Alert For South India

The southwest monsoon arrived over Kerala on Saturday, said the India Meteorological Department.

The onset of southwest monsoon took place eight days ahead of the usual June 1-mark, the department said.

This is the earliest date of monsoon onset over Kerala since 2009 when it arrived on May 23.

The southwest monsoon season generally begins in June and starts to retreat by September. The India Meteorological Department declares the onset of the season when it hits Kerala.

On Friday, the India Meteorological Department said that the southwest monsoon is expected to reach parts of central and eastern India by June 5.