India, May 25 -- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on May 24 that the monsoon has set in over Kerala, arriving eight days before the normal June 1 date for the southernmost region of mainland India. How often does the monsoon arrive early in India? What does an early monsoon mean for overall rainfall during the year? An HT analysis of IMD's rainfall data and existing research answers these questions.

Published by HT Digital Content Services with permission from Hindustan Times....