Southwest Monsoon Declared in Southern Atolls

The Maldives Meteorological Service has officially declared the commencement of the southwest monsoon season for the southern atolls of the Maldives.

According to a statement released by the MET office on X, the southwest monsoon began in the southern regions on May 9th.

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The determination of the onset of the southwest monsoon was based on specific criteria, including recorded rainfall exceeding 2.5 mm, prevailing southwest to westerly winds, and surface wind speeds surpassing 10mph for two or more consecutive days since May 1st.

Traditionally, the southwest monsoon makes its initial impact in the southern region during the first or second week of May before extending its influence to the central regions and eventually covering the entire country by the end of the month.

The Maldives experiences two prominent seasons: the southwest monsoon, which typically spans from May to November, and the northeast monsoon, occurring typically from January to March.