The southwest monsoon has officially arrived in Karnataka and has brought much-needed rain to some coastal parts of the state. Monsoon showers have already started in parts of Dakshina Kannada and Uttara Kannada districts, marking the start of the rainy season in Karnataka. Mangaluru and Karwar have experienced heavy rainfall and are getting relief from the hot weather.
And weather experts are predicting the monsoon will be spreading across the entire state by June 10. The exact time could vary by a day or two based on how fast and in what direction the wind is blowing over the Arabian Sea and the West Coast. The favourable weather conditions are making the monsoon more likely to progress, and most parts of Karnataka will be impacted in a few days, said Srinivasa Reddy, a weather service meteorologist.
Even on the other side of Kerala, Kerala is experiencing heavy rain. There is a Red Alert for the Kasaragod region, which shares a border with Karnataka. Local authorities have declared a holiday for schools in Kasaragod and advised residents not to travel too far. So far, there is no district in Karnataka that has declared holidays for schools or colleges due to rain.
Despite the arrival of the monsoon, weather forecasts indicate that Karnataka could experience below-normal rainfall this season. IMD predictions suggest that many districts will record rainfall 10-15 per cent below the average in the season. However, the Kalyana Karnataka areas (Bengaluru Urban, Bengaluru Rural, Kolar, Chikkaballapur) are anticipated to get almost normal rainfall.
The expected rain deficit is attributed to the strong El Niño weather phenomenon expected to strengthen further in the upcoming months. The impact of El Niño will become stronger in July, and scientists say its effect is already starting to influence rainfall patterns in southern India. So, there could be low rainfall in some districts in the monsoon season.
Southwest Monsoon Update !
— India Meteorological Department (@Indiametdept) June 5, 2026
Southwest monsoon has further advance into some more parts of Karnataka, Tamilnadu and some parts of Goa on today, the 5th June 2026.#SouthwestMonsoon #MonsoonUpdate #KarnatakaWeather #TamilNaduRain #GoaWeather #RainySeason2026 #WeatherForecast… pic.twitter.com/ijTCrcDvnw
The forecast has caused farmers to be concerned that crop production will be affected by the forecast, as agricultural activities are increasing in the state. Farmers are encouraged by the pre-monsoon showers; before the onset of pre-monsoon showers, many farmers are already starting to sow seeds. But experts believe that a rainfall deficit of about 10 per cent is unlikely to cause major disruption to agricultural activity. Some areas may face problems because of the lack of rainfall, but crop cultivation is not expected to be severely affected.
Many parts of Karnataka got heavy rainfall on Friday. The coastal districts got numerous showers, and in South Interior and North Interior Karnataka, some areas received rain. Honavar in the Uttara Kannada district received the highest rainfall of 9 cm, followed by Karwar and Manki with 7 cm each.
Other areas that experienced a lot of rainfall include Ankola and Kumta in the Uttara Kannada district and Moodbidri in the Dakshina Kannada district, both recording 5 cm of rain. Kottigehara in Chikkamagaluru district and Mangaluru city received 4 cm of rainfall. In Kodagu district, Bhagamandala and Virajpet received 3 cm of rainfall, and Gerusoppa, Kota, Kundapura, Nippani, Shaktinagar, and Sulya got similar amounts.
Hence, as the monsoon continues its progress through Karnataka, residents and farmers will be closely monitoring rainfall patterns in the coming months. The monsoon has brought optimism, but we can expect below-average rainfall, and the influence of El Niño will also be a key factor in the state's weather and agricultural outlook in the months ahead.
