Southwest monsoon kicks in for the Maldives

Maldives Metrical Service (Met Office), on Tuesday, declared the onset of the prevailing year’s southwest monsoon (wet season) in the Maldives.

Underscoring two distinct seasons are experienced in the Maldives – Met Office detailed that the northeast monsoon (dry season) extends from January to March. With April as a transition period, they said that the southwest monsoon (wet season) extends from May to December.

The office explained that the southwest monsoon generally first sets over southern Maldives around the first or second week of May – advancing northwards.

As we pass the second week of May – Met Office has declared May 8 as the onset of the southwest monsoon following an analysis of the weather data from the stations and other synoptic features.

In this regard, they detailed that majority of southern stations reported rainfall of 2.5 millimeters or more for two consecutive days after May 1 and the westerly surface winds of 10 knots or more were reported at the majority of southern stations for two consecutive days after May 1.