New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Thursday said the southwest monsoon is set to arrive early with the Andaman and Nicobar Islands expected to receive the first seasonal showers on May 15. “Southwest Monsoon is likely to advance into South Andaman Sea & adjoining Southeast Bay of Bengal around 15th May, 2022,” the IMD said in a statement here, PTI reported. The extended range forecasts, according to the weather scientists, have consistently suggested favourable conditions for an early monsoon onset over Kerala and its northward movement.


The weather office said fairly widespread to widespread light/moderate rainfall is very likely over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands during the next five days.


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The normal onset date for monsoon over the state of Kerala is June 1.


The archipelago is very likely to experience isolated heavy falls over the region from May 14 to May 16.


Squally weather with wind speed reaching 40-50 kmph to 60 kmph was also likely over South Andaman Sea on May 15 and May 16, according to the weather office.


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The early onset of monsoon could bring smile on the faces of several people as most parts of the nation witnessed extremely high temperatures over the past fortnight.


This development takes place as April this year ended as the third warmest in 122 years.


Prolonged and frequent heatwaves affected major parts of the country during last month, taking the maximum temperatures at many places in west Rajasthan, east Uttar Pradesh, west Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha in Maharashtra to over 45 degrees Celsius.