MarketsFarm – The onset of India’s annual southwest monsoon, which is vital to the country’s agricultural production, is expected to hit the southern state of Kerala within the next 48 hours, according to an update from the India Meteorological Department.
The persistence of westerly winds over the Arabian Sea, the increased depth of those westerly winds to the middle of tropospheric levels, and increased cloudiness in key areas were behind the forecast.
The monsoon onset comes while Cyclone Biparjoy intensifies in the Arabian Sea, which will keep the monsoon in a ‘weak’ state until the storm dissipates, according to forecasters.
The southwest monsoon typically runs from June 1 through September as it advances northward and accounts for about 70 per cent of India’s seasonal rainfall. The late start this year may delay the planting of some Kharif season crops, with the IMD also forecasting below average rains for June.
