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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that a slight delay is expected in the onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala and it is likely to arrive by June 4. The southwest monsoon normally sets in over Kerala on June 1, with a standard deviation of about 7 days. The monsoon arrived in the southern state on May 29 last year, June 3 in 2021, June 1 in 2020, June 8 in 2019, and May 29 in 2018. 

However, IMD chief M Mohapatra has said that the delay is unlikely to impact Kharif sowing and total rainfall over the country. He said ‘There is no one-to-one relationship between the onset date and the total rainfall over the country during the season. Also, the monsoon arriving early or late in Kerala doesn't mean it will cover other parts of the country accordingly. The monsoon is characterised by largescale variabilities and global, regional, and local features’.  

The IMD had last month said India is expected to get normal rainfall during the southwest monsoon season despite the evolving El Nino conditions. El Nino, which is the warming of the waters in the Pacific Ocean near South America, is generally associated with the weakening of monsoon winds and dry weather in India. India has already seen four consecutive years of 'normal' and 'above-normal' rains during the monsoon season.