New Delhi, June 2 -- Having hit the Kerala coast eight days ahead of schedule, and advanced swiftly inland, the progress of the South-west monsoon is likely to slow down now, the weather department said on Monday.

Rains hit Kerala on 24 May, well before the normal date of 1 June, while its further advance into parts of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh and Odisha, and all Southern and North-eastern states took place between 26 May and 2 June, ahead of the usual 10 June.

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However, further advance is likely to remain weak for the next seven days, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

"The advancement of southwest monsoon is likely to be weak for at least...