Early monsoon sets in Andaman & Nicobar

The south-west monsoon, the lifeline of many farmers of the country, has set in the south Andaman Sea and the south-east Bay of Bengal a good five days in advance.

The Andaman and Nicobar archipelago had been receiving isolated heavy to very heavy rains over the last two days, along with strong westerly winds and a persistent convection over the Andaman Sea, for the last three to four days.

"With these favourable conditions, south-west monsoon has set in over parts of south-east Bay of Bengal, Nicobar islands and Andaman Sea on Monday," the India [ Images ] Meteorological Department said.

It said that conditions were favourable for further advance of south-west monsoon over some more parts of south-east Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea in the next two days.

Weather forecasters have predicted widespread rains over Andaman and Nicobar islands [ Images ] during the next three to four days and further strengthening of westerly winds in the region.

India's 235 million farmers rely on the timing of the June-September monsoon season to decide which crops to grow.

The long-range summer monsoon forecast has pegged this season's rainfall as almost near-normal of 99 per cent of the average between 1941 and 1990. The weather office has forecast the onset of monsoon over the southern Kerala [ Images ] coast a week earlier than the normal June 1 date