Monsoon 2026 Arrives In Andaman Sea, IMD Signals Early Kerala Onset By May 26
Pune, 17th May 2026: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Saturday announced the onset of the southwest monsoon over parts of the Andaman Sea and adjoining regions, marking the formal beginning of the 2026 monsoon season.
According to the IMD, the monsoon has advanced into parts of the southeast Bay of Bengal, the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, the Andaman Sea and some areas of the Arabian Sea. Weather officials indicated that after its arrival in the Andaman region, the monsoon is expected to progress rapidly and may reach Kerala by May 26 this year.
The Andaman and Nicobar Islands have been witnessing moderate to heavy rainfall over the past 48 hours. Meteorologists said strong westerly winds have intensified over the south Bay of Bengal, the Andaman Sea and the Nicobar Islands region. Winds are currently blowing at speeds of around 35 kmph, with gusts reaching up to 45 kmph.
Officials also observed strong westerly wind patterns extending up to a height of 4.5 kilometres over parts of the Andaman Sea. Increased cloud formation, rainfall activity and changes in outgoing longwave radiation patterns have further confirmed the onset of the monsoon.
The IMD has forecast that the monsoon is likely to advance further into the remaining parts of the Andaman Islands, the Bay of Bengal and additional areas of the south Arabian Sea over the next three to four days.
As per the long-term average timeline, the monsoon usually reaches Port Blair, the capital of the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, around May 21. However, this year, the southwest monsoon has advanced into the south Andaman Sea ahead of schedule. In the Arabian Sea region, the monsoon’s progress is reported to be nearly six days earlier than normal.
Last year too, the monsoon had reached the south Andaman Sea on May 13, before making landfall over Kerala on May 24. In Maharashtra, the monsoon had arrived in the south Konkan region on May 25 in 2025.
The IMD is expected to release an updated long-range forecast and region-wise rainfall distribution outlook by the end of May.
Monsoon Arrival Over Andaman Region In Recent Years:
• 2022 – May 16
• 2023 – May 19
• 2024 – May 19
• 2025 – May 13
• 2026 – May 16
