Mumbai, May 25: The Indian Meteorological Department declared the start of the South West Monsoon over Nicobar Island on May 19, signalling the start of monsoon 2023.

According to the agency, as of May 21, the Northern Limit of the Southwest Monsoon is still passing through 5°N/85°E, 6.5°N/90°E, Nancowry, and 10°N/98°E. Mumbai Monsoon 2023: BMC Urges Slumdwellers in Hilly Areas of Vikhroli and Bhandup to Shift To Safer Locations Ahead of Rains.

The weather is expected to be favourable for the southwest monsoon to advance into additional areas of the southern Bay of Bengal, the Andaman Sea, and the Andaman and Nicobar Islands.

When will Monsoon Arrive on the Islands and the South?

The south west monsoon should ideally be declared over the island around May 25 or 26, 2023, as the cross-equatorial winds appear to be intensifying, the Intertropical Convergence Zone is moving north around May 24 and the south westerly winds are setting in at the island, along with a higher probability of rain by May 25.

According to the IMD, this year's Southwest Monsoon will likely arrive over Kerala a little later than usual, on June 2 instead of 1. The monsoon's start across Kerala is now predicted to occur on June 4 with a model error of plus/minus 4 days, along with nieghbouring states of Southern India.

When Will Monsoon Arrive Over Indian Mainland?

With a small delay, the south west monsoon is anticipated to strike Northern India between June 3 and June 7, taking at least another two weeks to recover from the slow start of the monsoon. Around midweek, significant dust and hail storms and pre-monsoon rains were reported in certain parts of North India.

According to IMD predictions, the states of Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, and Uttarakhand will be able to relish monsoon by June end, while it is expected to reach the states including Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Gujarat by June 15-20. El Nino Weather Patterns May Affect India Adversely, Likely To Cause Monsoon Rain Deficit: Experts.

Further, north-eastern states including Arunchal Pradesh, Meghalaya, Assam, and other are likely to relish early monsoon in the beginning of June.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 25, 2023 04:08 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).