With Cyclone Mocha making landfall on Sunday and is expected to weaken into a depression by Monday, all eyes are now on the southwest monsoon. The southwest monsoon is expected to reach the Andaman sea by May 20 and cover the entire Andaman and Nicobar Islands on May 22. It is likely to reach Kerala by June 1 with an error margin of +/-5 days.
The countdown for the arrival of the monsoon has already begun with the formation of the high pressure area called ‘Mascarenas High’ near Madagascar, from where the monsoon originates.
The formation of Cyclone Mocha over the Bay of Bengal ahead of the monsoon has raised some concerns as cyclones ahead of the monsoon usually delay its onset. However, Mocha will not have much influence on the onset as it was formed well before the set-in of monsoon winds. But if another cyclonic system formed around the time of the arrival of the monsoon near Andaman, it would have a direct influence on the monsoon onset, said a senior scientist at the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
