Slight delay in onset of monsoon; arrival likely on Jun 4: IMD

A slight delay is expected in the onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala and it is likely to arrive by June 4, the India Meteorological Department said on Tuesday.
Scientists, however, said the delay is unlikely to impact Kharif sowing and total rainfall over the country. The southwest monsoon normally sets in over Kerala on June 1, with a standard deviation of about 7 days.
“This year, the southwest monsoon onset over Kerala is likely to be slightly delayed. The monsoon onset over Kerala is likely to be on June 4 with a model error of 4 days,” IMD said. Private forecasting agency Skymet Weather, however, said the monsoon is likely to reach Kerala on June 7 with an error margin of three days. The monsoon arrived in Kerala on May 29 last year.