Southwest Monsoon season to start on May 31th

India Meteorological Department (IMD) reports that this-year’s SouthWest Monsoon is begining just on time. Annual Monsoon would reach India in the southern state of Kerala on or around May 31, which is normal.

Rain generated by the Southwest Monsoon is critical to life on the Indian Subcontinent as it supplies most of the region’s fresh water. India’s agricultural sector is highly dependent upon the rain that falls during the late spring and summer. If crops do not receive the appropriate amount of water during these periods, there can be food shortages and significant economic impacts.

The rain water from the Monsoon also helps to provide power to the nation through hydroelectric facilities. Monsoon rain is eagerly anticipated for these reasons, but also for the cooling it brings. The time ahead of the Monsoon is the hottest in India. Recent days, for example, have seen the temperature soar above 44 degrees Celsius in many locations.

With the benefits of the Monsoon come harsh consequences. Regularly, heavy Monsoon rain triggers flooding that inundates communities and claims lives. (AccuWeather)

The Asian summer monsoon affects the lives of 60% of the world population and has a major controlling effect on world food production. It is a complex climatic phenomenon resulting from the the atmospheric dynamical response to radiative, convective and sensible heating. It is a major challenge to simulate and understand the Asian summer monsoon using current state-of-the-art climate models with the ultimate goal of being able to predict the monsoon skillfully.

Forecast for Monsoon Onset over Kerala (IMD)

Long Range Forecast Monsoon 2011 (IMD)

Water Vapour Channel – INSAT satellite

Real-Time Monsoon Index

Poor Monsoon Impact on Agricultural Production