By Animesh Singh

New Delhi, Jun 24 (IANS): The southwest monsoon normally sets in by June 1 in India, when the moisture-laden westerly winds hit Kerala during.

However with cyclone Biparjoy making a landfall in the coastal regions of Gujarat, it delayed the arrival of monsoon in the country by around 10 days this year.

In the last 10 years, the earliest arrival of monsoon according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD) was on May 29 in both 2018 and 2022, while the most delayed arrival took place on June 8, 2019.

Normally the monsoon arrival date is awaited with great anticipation by the government, markets and also the common man and above all the farmers.

This year, the onset of the southwest monsoon was initially predicted to be slightly delayed than normal, and the arrival date was being assumed as June 4, with an error margin of four to five days.

Subsequently it arrived with a delay of 10 days in the country.

In the last five years, the onset date arrived within the time frame predicted by the IMD. In 2022, the actual monsoon arrival date was May 29, while the prediction was of May 27.

In 2021, the arrival date was on June 3 against the prediction of May 31.

In 2020, monsoon arrived in the country on June 1, while the prediction was for June 5.

In 2019, southwest monsoon rains in India arrived on June 8 against the prediction of June 6, while in 2018, the monsoon had set in by May 29, marching accurately with the predicted date of arrival.