India Monsoon: Heavy Rains Expected Over Kerala, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu This Week

2026-06-01 02:39:59

(MENAFN- Khaleej Times) The Southwest monsoon, delayed this year by a couple of days, will see the southern states of Kerala, Karnataka and Tamil Nadu witnessing heavy rains over the next few days, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced Monday. Similarly, Odisha, sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim are also expected to witness heavy rainfall.

However, 2026 is likely to be one of the driest monsoon seasons since 2015, with the IMD predicting the country will get 90 per cent of the long-period average (LPA).

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Dr M. Ravichandran, secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, told the media this figure is lower than the earlier forecast of 92 per cent in April. Over the last 20 years, there have been only three occasions when the rains were at 90 per cent or below the LPA: in 2009, 2014 and 2015.

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There are fears that the El Nino, a largescale ocean-atmospheric interaction in the equatorial Pacific Ocean, that impacts weather patterns around the world (including the monsoons), could be the strongest in recent times.

The IMD said El Nino was expected to be weak in June, moderate in July and August, but strong in September. According to data, 60 per cent of El Nino years between 1951 and 2022 resulted in below-average monsoons in India. The previous two years (2024 and 2025) saw above normal rains in the country, with most reservoirs being full.

While the monsoon is likely to be normal (94-106 per cent of LPA) over Northeast India, it will be below normal over central and south peninsular India (<94 per cent of LPA), especially in the Monsoon Core Zone, including most of the rainfed agriculture areas. In northwest India too it will be below normal (<92 per cent of LPA), said the IMD.

The Southwest monsoon (between June and September) delivers about 70 per cent of India's annual rainfall. It is crucial for the agriculture sector during the kharif season.

Millions of farmers plant kharif crops including rice, cotton, pulses and sugarcane during the season. Good monsoon triggers growth in the agriculture sector, leading to demand for tractors, agri products, vehicles, consumer products and other household items.

With fears of the El Nino impact on the monsoon season, the government is focusing on crop-specific advisories for farmers under its 'Save the fields' campaign, which began on Monday.

“The objective is not merely to disseminate information but to ensure that farmers receive field-level advice on what to sow, where to diversify and which alternatives are better suited in areas facing rainfall deficits or higher climatic risks,” Shivraj Singh Chouhan, the agriculture minister, told reporters.