Kerala: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday that the southwest monsoon will most probably hit Kerala on Monday. The conditions will become favorable for the onset of the monsoon over the southern tip of Kerala on May 31, the IMD's said in its forecast. The date has advanced by a day due to Cyclone Yaas, which started brewing in the Bay of Bengal and lashed India's east coast, the IMD said earlier. The cyclonic storm helped pull the monsoon flow over the Arabian sea, it added.

"Southwest monsoon has further advanced into some more parts of Maldives-Comorin area, southwest and the east-central Bay of Bengal, most parts of Southeast Bay of Bengal and some parts of west-central Bay of Bengal," the IMD said in its May 27 forecast.

The usual date of the monsoon's arrival in Kerala is June 1. It marks the commencement of the four-month rainfall season from June to September.

The details of the zone-wise distribution of rain will be released by the weather department on May 31. Meanwhile, the department forecast "scattered to fairly widespread rain/thunderstorm" likely over Karnataka, Kerala and Mahe and "isolated to scattered rain/thunderstorm" over remaining parts of south peninsular India during next 4-5 days.

"Isolated heavy rainfall likely over Kerala &Mahe during next 5 days; Coastal Karnataka on 01st-03rd June and South Interior Karnataka on 02nd & 03rd June," the IMD said on Twitter.

The IMD said last month that India was expected to get average monsoon rains this year, raising expectations of higher farm output, which is central to the country's economy.

Nearly half of India's farmland depends on annual June-September rains to grow crops such as rice, corn, cane, cotton and soybeans. The IMD had announced the monsoon's arrival in Andaman and Nicobar Islands on May 21.