South-west monsoon resumes India-bound journey

The southwest monsoon has resumed its journey towards India after a worrying 10-day halt as the devastating cyclone Amphan blocked its advance beyond the Andaman islands.

The monsoon, which is considered the lifeline of the rural economy, is now forecast to make further progress and reach the Kerala coast on June 5, four days later than normal. Last year, the monsoon winds had stalled for eight days over the same stretch, resulting in a delayed onset of rains throughout the country.

"In view of the enhanced cloud cover and deepening of southwesterly winds up to mid tropospheric levels, southwest monsoon has further advanced into some more parts of south Bay of Bengal, most parts of Andaman Sea and Andaman & Nicobar Islands today," said the India Meteorological Department's bulletin on Wednesday.


Apart from the monsoon’s progress, the weather office had some good news for northern India, which is in the grip of a severe heat wave. A western disturbance is forecast to bring temporary relief in the region with showers. Heatwave conditions are expected to reduce Friday onwards, said the IMD.

Rainfall is forecast from Thursday to Saturday. Maximum temperatures over plains of north India are likely to recede from Thursday with “substantial reduction of heat wave conditions” from Friday, said the IMD.

Farmers are anxiously awaiting the onset of monsoon in Kerala, as they will need to complete the pre-sowing operations accordingly. Last year, the rains had a slow start, with June recording only 35% of its total rainfall. This prompted the IMD to revise its onset and withdrawal dates for many parts of the country, delaying them for most regions by seven to 15 days.