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RAS question

The Southwest Monsoon reaches Kerala coast typically by:

Correct answer: (B) June 1.

The Southwest Monsoon normally reaches the Kerala coast around 1 June.

  1. (A)

    May 15

  2. (B)

    June 1

  3. (C)

    June 15

  4. (D)

    July 1

Explanation

The answer is 1 June because IMD treats Kerala as the normal starting point for the advance of the Southwest Monsoon over India. The cited IMD monsoon-onset page states that the Southwest Monsoon normally sets in over Kerala around 1 June, then advances northwards, usually in surges, and covers the entire country around 15 July. This fits the standard exam explanation: June 1 is the normal date, with a variation of about seven days, while the all-India coverage comes much later, by mid-July. So the question is not asking for the first pre-monsoon rain or the date by which the monsoon reaches northern India; it is asking for the conventional Kerala onset date.

Why the other options are wrong

  • (A) May 15 is too early for the normal Kerala onset, which the IMD places around 1 June.
  • (C) June 15 is later than the normal Kerala onset and belongs to a later stage of the monsoon's northward advance.
  • (D) July 1 is far too late for Kerala, since the IMD says the monsoon normally starts there around 1 June and covers the country around mid-July.

Concept

This tests the chronology of the Southwest Monsoon's onset and advance, a core Indian geography fact. It recurs in RAS because monsoon timing anchors questions on rainfall, agriculture and regional climate patterns.

Source

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