The southwest monsoon made an onset over Kerala on Thursday after a delay of two days, marking the commencement of the four-month rainy season in the country, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

“The southwest monsoon has made an onset over the southern parts of Kerala,” said IMD director-general Mrutunjay Mohapatra.

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

The southwest monsoon is likely to advance into the remaining parts of south Arabian Sea and some parts of central Arabian Sea, remaining parts of Kerala, Lakshadweep, some parts of Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, coastal and south interior Karnataka, Rayalaseema, and south and central Bay of Bengal during the next two days, the IMD said.

This is the third time in the last six years that the monsoon has arrived late. In 2016 and 2019, the southwest monsoon had made its onset over Kerala on June 8.

The IMD had earlier forecast that the monsoon would arrive in Kerala around May 31.

The southwest monsoon is likely to be normal in north and south India, above-normal in central India and below-normal in east and northeast India, the Met department had said in its second long-range forecast for the southwest monsoon on Tuesday.

A good monsoon is critical to the Indian economy, which is still largely based on agriculture and its allied activities.

Most parts of the country are expected to receive normal to above-normal rainfall during the season, the IMD said.

Skymet, a private weather forecasting station, had said the southwest monsoon entered Kerala on May 30. However, the IMD had said the conditions were not ripe for declaring the onset of monsoon.

Many places in Kerala received rain on Thursday.