The relief from the acute summer and drought across the country could be just around the corner. The monsoon, which majority of India is pitching their hopes to recover from the two deficit seasons which devastated the agriculture and economy of states like Maharashtra, UP, Odisha AP and Telangan could arrive in the southern central India by second half of June.

The monsoon is expected to hit Kerala on time, by May-end or early June, Science and Technology Minister Harsh Vardhan told Lok Sabha on Wednesday. Normally the monsoon which begins in June from the Arabia Sea coast travel upwards gradually reaching the northern parts of the country by the end of June. This means that the rains could hit states like Maharashtra by early June. An exact prediction of the monsoon's arrival is expected to be made on May 15.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) had earlier predicted an 'above average' rainfall this season, signalling that the devastating drought that was a result of poor monsoons in the past two years, could be over.

Monsoon is considered normal when the rainfall is 96 to 104% of the long period average and is considered above normal when it is 105 to 110%.