Monsoon reaches Kerala sooner than expected, marks earliest onset in India since 2009

Southwest Monsoon has arrived in Kerala

The Southwest Monsoon has reached Kerala sooner than the expected date in the first week of June. With this, the monsoon has marked its earliest arrival in the Indian mainland since 2009.

However, weather experts had earlier cautioned that while the early onset is encouraging, its the real impact will depend on how uniformly the monsoon spreads across the country in the coming weeks. Experts have said that a steady and constant spread of monsoon is essential to ensure a smooth and successful Kharif season.

Reports said that if the monsoon maintains its pace and spreads evenly to central and northern India by mid-July, the country can expect a good agricultural output, which would in turn, help in maintaining and boosting economic growth and also keep inflation in check.

Meanwhile, IMD has predicted thunderstorms and rainfall over several areas in India - including Delhi, Mumbai, Goa and their surrounding areas. IMD has, however, scaled down the alert for Mumbai from orange to yellow and now, only light to moderate rainfall is expected in the Mumbai Metropolitan area.

For Delhi and its surrounding areas, thunderstorms and rainfall are likely on Saturday. This comes two days after a strong dust storm his the national capital and its surrounding areas, causing widespread damage to property and also loss of at least two lives.