A streak of lightning flashing in the skyline of Vijayawada, as heavy rain lashed the city on Saturday.
| Photo Credit: G.N. Rao

With the southwest monsoon arriving in Kerala on Saturday, a week ahead of the normal date of onset, Andhra Pradesh is likely to witness an early arrival too.

India Meteorological Department (IMD), Amaravati, S. Stella says the monsoon is expected to arrive in the State within the next three days. Usually, the monsoon sets in Andhra Pradesh around June 4, four to seven days after its onset in Kerala.

At present, the three regions of South Coastal Andhra Pradesh, North Coastal Andhra Pradesh and Rayalaseema are experiencing pre-monsoon showers.

May, which started on a cooler note, has witnessed rain for the most of it, while the day temperatures remained below 42 degrees Celsius, according to the data available with the IMD.

The State has received 88.5 mm of rain against the normal of 39.2 mm between May 1 and May 21, a departure from the normal by 126%, according to the IMD.

Again, there is a forecast of heavy rain, accompanied by lightning and gusty winds, in isolated places across the State until May 30.

An IMD bulletin says that in addition to conditions being favourable for the advancement of southwest monsoon into Andhra Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu and other States, a low-pressure area is likely to form over the west-central and its adjoining north Bay of Bengal around May 27. These two factors may lead to heavy rain in the State.

On May 24, Ichchapuram in Srikakulam district received the day’s maximum of 46.25 mm rainfall, according to the realtime data updated as of 7 p.m. on the Andhra Pradesh State Development and Planning Society. Many places across the State received patchy rain on Saturday.