Monsoon yet to enter Kerala despite forecast of early onset

Monsoon yet to enter Kerala despite forecast of early onset

Mangalore Today News Network

Mangaluru, May 29, 2026: The southwest monsoon, which was expected to enter Kerala during the last week of May, is yet to make its onset this year. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has already forecast that the monsoon rainfall may be deficient this season due to the influence of El Niño. In this backdrop, the delay in the arrival of the monsoon is likely to create concerns among farmers.

According to the latest information from the weather department, monsoon winds have further advanced into large parts of the Arabian Sea, Lakshadweep region, Bay of Bengal, and the Andaman Sea. The IMD stated that although the monsoon currents are progressing slowly, they are expected to naturally regain momentum.

The oceanic and atmospheric conditions that had disrupted the monsoon’s progress are now gradually clearing. Highly favourable conditions are developing for the monsoon to advance into most parts of the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal over the next two to three days. At present, the monsoon system extends from the southwest Arabian Sea across the Bay of Bengal up to Myanmar and is strengthening over the Indian Ocean region.

Earlier, the IMD had predicted that the monsoon would reach the Kerala coast around May 26, nearly five days ahead of the normal onset date of June 1. However, due to the recent cyclone formation over the Bay of Bengal, the monsoon winds temporarily weakened, resulting in the delay of continuous rainfall activity over Kerala.

Weather experts, however, clarified that the current slowdown is not a major cause for concern. The monsoon has already covered most parts of the south Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea and is now moving rapidly towards the northwest. Although slightly delayed compared to the initial forecast, the present movement of the monsoon remains close to its normal track.

Usually, the southwest monsoon reaches the national capital, Delhi, around June 27. Based on the current weather patterns, there is a possibility of the monsoon reaching Delhi between June 25 and 30. Experts expressed optimism that if the present slowdown does not continue into the first week of June, the monsoon timeline for the rest of the country is expected to remain largely normal.