Southwest monsoon arrives in Andaman; may hit Kerala earlier this year

It’s official, southwest monsoon has finally arrived in Andaman Sea. Predictions were that due to Cyclone Mahasen, there could be an initial delay in the arrival of monsoons over Andaman but thankfully the rain gods have been kind. So much so, that the monsoon knocked on the door three days before its official due date, i.e. on the 20^th of May.

Currently, the northern limit of monsoon is passing through 5.0°N and 85.0°E, therefore southwest monsoon has set only over some parts of Andaman Sea. Weather models indicate that it could cover entire Andaman and Nicobar islands within the next 2 to 3 days. As of now conditions are looking favourable for the further advancement of southwest monsoon over more parts of south and eastcentral Bay of Bengal.

“It has been raining continuously (up to 25mm till now) in Andaman for the last 3 days. Rain belt may spread further and moderate to heavy rainfall may therefore be experienced in the coming days”, says Mahesh Palawat, Head of the forecasting at Skymet Weather.

Earlier in April, Skymet Weather had discussed the prospects and challenges of the Monsoon 2013, where it had stated that the monsoon is expected to be near normal in most parts this year, and that it will hit before the normal date or close to the normal date and rain deficit could be only up to 12%. Seeing the present conditions, it looks like the foreshadow was quite right. “We are continually tracking the monsoon and we hope for it to be very close to our predictions. As of now, according to us, monsoon should arrive in Kerala by the 28^th of May”, said the Jatin Singh, CEO of Skymet Weather.

Back in Andaman and Nicobar, it could be a good time to travel, escape the baking heat of north India and witness the scenic beauty of the serene islands. While most will suggest to not plan a trip to the islands in rainy months of May, we suggest it’s a great time to get great discounts and visit the lush green natural environs.