IMD expects onset of Southwest monsoon over Kerala on May 31

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has predicted the onset of Kerala's southwest monsoon on May 31, with an error of +/- 4 days. (Representative image)

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) expects the onset of the Southwest monsoon over Kerala on May 31, a day earlier than usual. Normally, the first showers of monsoon hit Kerala on June 1.

“This year, the onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala is likely to be on 31st May with a model error of plus/minus 4 days,” the IMD said.

The initial monsoon winds are experienced over the south Andaman Sea before they advance north-westwards across the Bay of Bengal.

The southwest monsoon typically advances over the Andaman Sea around May 22 but as a cyclone is expected to form over the Arabian Sea, the cross-equatorial south westerlies have temporarily strengthened over the Arabian Sea, IMD said.

The cross-equatorial flow is very likely to strengthen and deepen over the Bay of Bengal from May 20 and a sustained rainfall activity is likely over the south Bay of Bengal and Andaman Nicobar Islands from May 21.

Hence, the expectation is that the monsoon advance over Andaman and Nicobar Islands is likely around May 21.

IMD expects the monsoon to be normal this year.

Meanwhile, Kerala is on a red alert for the oncoming cyclone named Cyclone Tauktae. The state has been seeing heavy rainfall since the night of May 13 and the government has opened relief camps and started shifting people living in low lying areas to safer places.

Click here to read all live updates about Cyclone Tatuktae

Eight districts have been put on high alert - Thiruvananthapuram, Kollam, Pathanamthitta, Malappuram, Kozhikkode, Wayanad, Kannur, and Kasargod.

As per the latest IMD forecast, a yellow alert was issued in Thiruvananthapuram while an orange alert in Alappuzha, Kottayam, Ernakulam, Idukki, Thrissur, Palakkad, Malappuram, Kozhikode and Wayanad districts.

Authorities have banned fishing in the sea till the situation becomes normal.

The Kerala State Disaster Management Authority (KSDMA) has urged people living in landslide-prone areas and coastal areas to take all precautions.

It has also directed authorities to take steps to open relief camps adhering to COVID-19 protocol.

Various district administrations have opened control rooms at the district, taluk and panchayat levels to coordinate relief operations in view of heavy rains predicted by the IMD.