New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said in its forecast that the southwest monsoon is expected to arrive in Kerala around June 4. The monsoon season traditionally starts around June 1.“Southwest monsoon is likely to set in over Kerala around 4th June, 2026. Isolated heavy to very heavy rainfall (7-20cm) very likely over Kerala and isolated heavy rainfall over Tamil Nadu and Karnataka during next 6-7days,” said the IMD on Tuesday (June 2).The weather department added that moderate to severe thunderstorm activity with squally wind speed upto 40-50 kmph is likely over many parts of Northwest, Central & East India and south Peninsular India during many days of the week.While the IMD had earlier predicted that Monsoon will arrive in Kerala on May 26, it was delayed.In its revised forecast on May 29, the IMD had said that the season’s rainfall would be below normal, also noting that India is expected to receive 90% of its Long Period Average (LPA) this year.LPA is rainfall recorded over a particular region for a given interval, such as a month or season, averaged over a long period, generally 30 to 50 years.As per data from 1971 to 2020, the LPA of seasonal rainfall over India as a whole is 87 centimetres. A monsoon season with less than 90% of the LPA rainfall is classified as “deficient” by the weather department.The IMD said that one of the reasons behind the below-normal rainfall this year could be the emergence of El Nino conditions.The Wire had earlier reported that 2026 isn’t just a Super El Niño year, but as reports suggest, it could be the strongest El Niño the world has witnessed so far. With Pacific water temperatures projected to be 2.5 degree Celsius, the world could descend into a complete climatic chaos as reversal of our conventional weather patterns is imminent. Some forecasts even predict the temperatures going way past 3 C and India being among the worst hit countries, potentially losing its precious monsoon, water and agriculture.