The Southwest Monsoon has hit the coast of Kerala and advanced into parts of northeast Bharat from Thursday, said the Indian Meteorological Department.
This year’s Monsoon onset is two days earlier as the usual date of the onset is on June 1. This year, Kerala experienced widespread pre-monsoon rains.
In 2023, rainfall over the country as a whole during monsoon season (June-September), was 94 % of its long-period average. The advance of the southwest monsoon over the Indian mainland is marked by monsoon onset over Kerala and is an important indicator characterising the transition from a hot and dry season to a rainy season.
As the monsoon progresses northward, relief from scorching summer temperatures is experienced over the areas that it tends to cover.
These rains are crucial to the Indian agriculture economy (especially for kharif crops). India has three cropping seasons — summer, kharif and rabi.
Crops that are sown during October and November and the produce harvested from January depending on maturity are Rabi. Crops sown during June-July and dependent on monsoon rains are harvested in October-November are kharif. Crops produced between Rabi and Kharif are Summer crops.
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