Monsoon has hit the coast of Kerala two days ahead of the schedule. The southwest winds which bring the country the much-sought after monsoon rains along with relief to heavily agri-dependent economy, have kept an early date (two days ahead of schedule). The Indian Meteorological Department had already predicted early monsoon. 
The arrival of monsoon marks the onset of a season of rainfall awaited, by the farmers in particular and the nation in general, to irrigate the fields and grow the produce on which the country feeds.

This time, the arrival of northwest monsoon coincided with the monsoon rains of India’s northeastern states, helped by a cyclonic storm in the Bay of Bengal. The southwest monsoon delivers about 70 per cent of India’s annual rainfall.
The monsoon also brings relief from the climate change concerns. Last week, the met office had forecast a ‘normal’ monsoon and more rainfall this year than the previous year easing the concerns over the El Nino weather condition. 
The met department expects the El Nino conditions to remain neutral during monsoon season, and weaken during the second half of monsoon, an official had said earlier this month. The met department is due to update its forecast by the first week of June. Indian Meteorological Department defines 96%-104% rains of the long-period average as ‘normal’, that below 96 per cent as ‘below normal’, and below 90 per cent as ‘deficient’.