The Indian Meteorological Department on Wednesday said the monsoon has reached most parts of Kerala, Tamil Nadu and some areas in Karnataka. According to the Met department, the southwest monsoon will soon cover the rest of the southern states and advance north to give some much-needed relief to the parched country.

Other regions that have already been hit by the monsoon include the Maldive-Comorin area, and parts of south and central Bay of Bengal. Kerala has been receiving pre-monsoon showers for a few days now. On Monday, Koyilandy received 84 mm of rain, Aryankavu 61 mm, Vaikom 60 mm, Nedumangad 55.8 mm, Vadakara 51 mm, and Ottappalam 41.8 mm, according to Skymet.

If the state forecaster's predictions are to be believed, India is expected to receive normal to above-normal showers this year. In April, the IMD said there is a 30% chance that the monsoon this year will be in excess, while there is a 34% probability of an above-average monsoon.