The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced that the monsoon has arrived in Kerala, in the southeast of the country, three days later than its normal start date of June 1. The monsoon rains are vital for the health of India's economy, helping farmers cultivate crops such as cotton, soybeans, sugarcane, rice, and corn.
India's economy, the third-largest in Asia and valued at $4 trillion, heavily depends on the monsoon season, which provides about 70% of the rainfall needed for a successful harvest. Beyond agriculture, the rains also replenish groundwater and reservoirs across the nation.
On Thursday, June 1, the IMD stated that "conditions are favorable for the southwest monsoon to advance further" into areas including the central Arabian Sea, Goa state, and parts of Maharashtra, Andhra Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu over the next two to three days.
Earlier in May, concerns over crops, food prices, and economic growth rose after the IMD warned that the El Niño phenomenon could make the 2026 monsoon weaker, potentially leading to the driest season in 11 years.
The World Meteorological Organization (WMO) has said there is an 80% chance of El Niño occurring between June and August. According to the WMO, the climate phenomenon warms surface temperatures in the Pacific Ocean and typically "increases global temperatures and causes extreme weather patterns and unusual rainfall."
On Tuesday, May 30, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres warned that El Niño is "approaching our doorstep." "The world must see this as an urgent climate warning. El Niño conditions will only add fuel to the fire for a warming world," he said in a video message.
