Hyderabad / New Delhi: Several days after the India Metrological Department raised hopes by predicting an above-average monsoon, it came out with unpleasant news on Sunday of a possible six-day delay in early showers, that were due to hit Kerala on June 1.
“The forecast suggests the monsoon’s onset over Kerala this year is likely to be slightly delayed. The southwest monsoon is likely to set over Kerala on June 7, with a model error of plus or minus four days,” said the IMD, which has got it right in the past 11 years. June 1 is the official onset date of the monsoon in India.
This will lead to a delay of six days in AP and two days in TS. IMD-Hyderabad assistant meteorologist M. Narsimha Rao said the normal onset date in AP is June 1, the same as of Kerala, and June 5 for Telangana.
He said there could be delays in the monsoon advancing, even after setting in over Kerala due to climatic conditions.
“The monsoon might set in over AP on June 7, the same day as Kerala, or later. The dates can be predicted only after it has set in on Kerala.” Last year, the monsoon set in on AP on June 10 and advanced to Telangana on June 13 in Telangana. Rao said, "The dates predicted by IMD have a range of plus or minus 4 days and the prediction is done daily. It might change depending on the change in weather systems.”
However, Accuweather website reported no rain warning, only “partly cloudy” sky for June 7, when the monsoon should set in over Nellore.
