Kerla: Conditions are favorable for the onset of monsoon over Kerala around May 31, a day ahead of its usual date, India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday. Monsoon has advanced into some more parts of Maldives-Comorin area, Southwest and East-central Bay of Bengal, most parts of Southeast Bay of Bengal, and some parts of Westcentral Bay of Bengal on Thursday.

Parts of Odisha reported extremely heavy rain on Wednesday Chandbali 29cm; Garadpur and Rajkanika 25cm each; Balikuda 19cm; Tirtol and Binjharpur 21cm each; and Paradip 20cm. Over Tamil Nadu, Kanyakumari recorded 24cm; over Kerala, Idukki recorded 19cm; Thiruvananthapuram 17cm. IMD scientists said very severe cyclonic storm Yaas which ravaged Odisha and West Bengal coasts on Wednesday had helped strengthen monsoon winds and that monsoon onset over Kerala is likely next week. On Thursday also, Kerala’s Kayamkulam and Alapuzha recorded 9cm of rain; Nedumangad, Thiruvlla 8cm each; Mavelikura, Peermade, and Kumarakam 8cm each. Over Odisha, Mayurbhanj 28cm; Keonjhargarh 27cm; Sundargarh 21cm. Over Jharkhand, West Singhum 21cm and Ranchi 18cm.

“There is no likelihood of a low-pressure area developing immediately. Yaas has weakened. Now monsoon will gradually pick up,” said Sunitha Devi, in-charge, cyclones, at IMD.

“Yaas helped pull the monsoon current ahead in the Arabian Sea. There was heavy to very heavy rain reported in many parts of Kerala in the last 24 hours so we are expecting monsoon to arrive early,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice president, Skymet Weather.

“Cross equatorial flow over the Arabian Sea has strengthened because of which very heavy rain was reported over Kerala. But that is not monsoon rain. We are expecting monsoon to arrive on May 31,” said OP Sreejith, scientist and head, Climate Monitoring and Prediction Group (CMPG).onsoon is likely to arrive over Kerala on May 31 a day ahead of its normal arrival date of June 1, with a possible error margin of plus/minus four days, IMD had said on May 14.