Monsoon likely to hit Karnataka by June 12

Monsoon is likely to hit Karnataka five days after its onset in Kerala, where it is expected to arrive on June 7 (Friday).

Speaking to DH, Sundar Mahadev Metri, director-in-charge, IMD, Bengaluru, said “monsoon will cover many parts of Karnataka in a span of five days”.

A low pressure region in Arabian Sea is also expected to accelerate the onset of monsoon along Kerala and Karnataka coasts.

According to Skymet, the development of a cyclonic circulation in Southeast Arabian Sea would induce a low pressure area by June 6. This system is likely to aid monsoon surge over Kerala.

The south-west monsoon is expected to hit the Kerala coast on June 7 (Friday), a week later than its normal onset date, Earth Sciences Minister Harsh Vardhan said here on Tuesday.

Vardhan, who took charge as the Minister of Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, was briefed on the progress of the monsoon and the ongoing heat wave conditions by scientists of the India Meteorological Department here.

“Conditions will be favourable for onset of south-west monsoon over Kerala during the subsequent 72 hours,” the IMD said in its monsoon forecast on Tuesday.

Skymet had said the pre-monsoon rainfall this year was the second-lowest since 1954, further contributing to the country’s summer woes.

The three-month pre-monsoon season — March, April and May — ended with a rainfall deficiency of 25%.

Skymet had also said that monsoon would be weak initially and advised delay in sowing of kharif crops for south and central India.