Monsoon may set in over Kerala during June 3 to 9, says agro-met advisory

Meteorological subdivision-level rainfall forecast indicates rainfall activity over South India during June 3 to 9, which can bring the onset of the South-West monsoon. Normal date for onset over Kerala is June 1.

The June 3-9 window has been projected in the national agro-met advisory service bulletin based on extended range weather forecast valid for the period May 27 to June 9.

It is issued by the India Met Department in association with the Indian Council of Agricultural Research, All India Coordinated Research Project on Agricultural Meteorology and the Central Research Institute for Dryland Agriculture, Hyderabad.

According to the bulletin, extreme parts of South India and North-East India are likely to receive witness a wet spell rain during May 27 to June 2.

Over the West Coast, the rainfall belt will gradually extend northward, which will drive the rains over the rest of South India during June 3 to June 9.

This, according to the bulletin, could likely precipitate onset of the monsoon over Kerala followed by other parts of South India.

The India Met Department had in its monsoon onset forecast issued earlier said that the arrival of the rains will be delayed until June 7 with a model error of four days.

The aforementioned bulletin says that the next fortnight beginning Friday would witness normal or above normal rainfall would over Jammu & Kashmir, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Interior Karnataka, Rayalaseema, Tamil Nadu and Kerala.

Normal or above normal rainfall may also occur in either of the next two weeks in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal, Sikkim, Konkan, Goa, Madhya Maharashtra, Marathawada, Telangana and Coastal Karnataka.

Prevailing weather conditions are suitable to continue agricultural activities such as land preparation and sowing of kharif crops in North-Eastern states, Kerala, Karnataka, Maharashtra and West Bengal.

Since there has been rainfall in Kerala which is likely to continue too, farmers are advised to undertake nursery for rice and vegetables as well as planting of orchard crops.

On the other hand, heat wave or high temperature conditions have prevailed in Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh, Odisha, Vidarbha, Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Telangana.

During the latter part of the next fortnight, heat wave to severe heat wave conditions may descend over Central India and North-West India.

In view of prevailing heat wave conditions, farmers in the above States have been advised to apply light and frequent irrigation to summer vegetables, sugarcane and orchards during evening hours.

Soil mulching or mulching with straw or polythene may be undertaken to conserve soil moisture.