Bhubaneswar, June 4: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday officially declared the onset of the Southwest Monsoon over Kerala, marking the beginning of the 2026 monsoon season over the Indian mainland. The seasonal rains arrived on June 4, three days later than the normal onset date of June 1.
According to the IMD, the monsoon has made significant progress over several regions beyond Kerala. It has covered the remaining parts of the southwest and southeast Arabian Sea, portions of the west-central and east-central Arabian Sea, the entire Lakshadweep archipelago, Kerala and Mahe, and parts of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu. Simultaneously, it has advanced into several areas of the Bay of Bengal.
The weather agency said atmospheric and oceanic conditions are currently favourable for further advancement of the monsoon. Over the next two to three days, the monsoon is expected to spread into Goa, parts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, more regions of Karnataka and Tamil Nadu, and several northeastern states.
Explaining the monsoon’s progress, the IMD noted that convective cloud activity intensified considerably over the southeast Arabian Sea during the past two days. Strong westerly winds in the lower atmosphere, reaching speeds of 20–25 knots and extending up to 4.5 kilometres above mean sea level, played a key role in supporting the system’s movement.
Kerala witnessed widespread rainfall during this period, including isolated heavy showers. Meteorologists will continue to closely monitor the monsoon’s advance as it moves deeper into the country, bringing relief from the summer heat and providing a crucial boost to agriculture and water resources.
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