RAS question
The southwest monsoon typically reaches Kerala by which date?
Correct answer: (B) 1st June.
The southwest monsoon normally sets in over Kerala around 1st June.
Explanation
The southwest monsoon's normal onset over Kerala is around 1st June, so this date marks the standard reference point for the beginning of the monsoon's advance over mainland India. The India Meteorological Department notes that the southwest monsoon normally sets in over Kerala around 1st June, then advances northwards, usually in surges. It covers the entire country around 15th July. The normal date has a standard deviation of about seven days, so small year-to-year variation does not change the conventional RAS answer: Kerala around 1st June, followed by a northward advance across India.
Why the other options are wrong
- (A) 1st July is too late for Kerala, because by then the monsoon has normally moved well beyond its Kerala onset stage and is on its wider northward advance.
- (C) 15th June is later than the normal Kerala onset, as the monsoon has usually advanced beyond Kerala by that time.
- (D) 15th May is too early for the normal Kerala onset, which is around 1st June rather than mid-May.
Concept
This tests the normal onset and advance of the southwest monsoon, a core physical geography theme in Indian climatology. RAS repeats it because the Kerala onset date anchors questions on the monsoon's normal sequence and spatial progression.