Thanks to a cyclonic circulation, monsoon will keep its date with India contrary to the earlier forecast of a slight delay. The southwest monsoon is likely to make an onset over Kerala on June 1,  the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday.

This is because conditions are becoming favourable for monsoon winds to advance as a low pressure area is expected to develop over the Arabian Sea between May 31 and June 4. The IMD had in its onset date forecast on May 15 said that the monsoon is likely to hit the southern state on June 5, four days after its normal onset date. The normal onset of monsoon over Kerala is June 1.

However, a cyclonic circulation over the Bay of Bengal is likely to help in the progress of monsoon.

“A low pressure area is likely to form over southeast and adjoining east central Arabian Sea during May 31 to June 4. In view of this, conditions are very likely to become favourable from June 1 for onset of southwest monsoon over Kerala,” the IMD said.

It is also likely to intensify into a cyclone but may not impact India’s west coast, IMD said. According to the IMD, the country is likely to receive normal monsoon this year.  “With the strengthening of westerlies and increase in convective clouds, the southwest Monsoon has further advanced into some parts of Maldives-Comorin area, some more parts of south Bay of Bengal, remaining parts of Andaman Sea and Andaman  Nicobar Islands,” it said.

Another low pressure area is likely to form over southeast and adjoining east-central Arabian Sea, close to the Indian coast between May 31 and 4 June.

“Scattered low and medium clouds with embedded intense to very intense convection lay over southeast and west central Arabian Sea,” IMD said in its cyclone bulletin for Thursday.