Southwest monsoon enters Karnataka, set to advance over southern districts in two days

Bengaluru: After days of anticipation and widespread pre-monsoon showers, southwest monsoon entered Karnataka Thursday, with India Meteorological Department (IMD) declaring its onset over coastal districts Dakshina Kannada and Udupi following continuous rainfall and thunderstorm activity. The monsoon also completed its advance over neighbouring Kerala.

IMD officials said monsoon is likely to progress into south-interior Karnataka (SIK) within the next two days.

Dr N Puviarasan, scientist and regional head of IMD Bengaluru, said: “Conditions are highly favourable for further advancement into SIK. Rainfall activity is expected to spread to more districts of Karnataka and parts of Tamil Nadu over the next two days.”

Explaining the declaration, CS Patil, scientist at IMD Bengaluru, said Karnataka coast has met all standard onset criteria. “The region has recorded continuous rainfall of over 2-3mm in recent days, with wind speeds of 30-35kmph and persistent cloud cover. If these conditions continue, monsoon is expected to advance into Mysuru, Chamarajanagar, Bengaluru and other parts of SIK within two days,” he said.

IMD issued a yellow alert for coastal Karnataka till June 10. Dakshina Kannada, Udupi, and Uttara Kannada are likely to receive heavy to very heavy rainfall over the next two days, while Bengaluru, Kolar, Tumakuru, and Chikkaballapur are expected to witness light to moderate rain accompanied by thunderstorms.

Weather experts, however, cautioned that the pace and intensity of monsoon’s advance across the rest of Karnataka will depend on evolving atmospheric conditions. According to sources in Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), while monsoon’s arrival is broadly in line with forecasts, emerging El Niño conditions could influence rainfall later in the season. “Current assessments suggest rainfall intensity may weaken during the latter half of the monsoon, potentially leading to a 20-30% deficit if the trend persists,” an official said.