The southwest monsoon entered Maharashtra on Friday, keeping to its normal schedule despite reaching Kerala later than usual earlier this week, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The monsoon arrived in Kerala on June 4, three days after its normal onset date of June 1 and significantly later than the IMD’s earlier forecast of May 26. However, favourable weather conditions helped the system advance rapidly along the west coast, covering large parts of the region up to Goa by June 5 before entering Maharashtra on June 6.
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In its latest bulletin, the IMD reported that the southwest monsoon has advanced into additional areas of the west-central and east-central Arabian Sea, Karnataka, the entire Goa region, parts of Maharashtra and Andhra Pradesh, most parts of Tamil Nadu, and the southwest Bay of Bengal. The weather system has also progressed into more areas of the west-central, northeast and northwest Bay of Bengal, along with parts of Mizoram and Manipur.
According to the IMD, the Northern Limit of Monsoon currently passes through Devgad in Maharashtra’s Konkan region, Koppal in Karnataka, Anantapuramu in Andhra Pradesh and Chennai in Tamil Nadu.
The weather department has predicted favourable conditions for the monsoon to advance further over the next two to three days. It is expected to spread across more parts of Maharashtra, Karnataka and Andhra Pradesh, as well as parts of Telangana and the remaining areas of Tamil Nadu. Additional progress is also likely over the Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal and northeastern states.
The timely arrival of the monsoon is expected to bring widespread rainfall to several parts of Maharashtra, providing relief from the intense summer heat. The rains are also expected to benefit farmers by supporting sowing activities and boosting prospects for the upcoming agricultural season across the state.
