Monsoon arrives in the Andamans early

CAR NICOBAR: The monsoon has arrived in the Andamans archipelago, bringing misery to homeless tsunami victims but cheer to the rest of the parched nation.

The monsoon arrived on Wednesday, two days ahead of schedule, in the southern island group of Car Nicobar and was expected to hit Port Blair later on Thursday, said weather office spokesman B.D. Gupta in the Andamans.

"The monsoon struck Nicobar two days ahead of schedule and is expected to reach Orissa by June 10," Gupta said.

June 1 is the scheduled date for the onset of the monsoon in Kerala and it takes around 28 days for the rains to reach India's parched northern plains.

Naval metereologist Commander Salil Mehta reported 69 millimetres (2.76 inches) of rain on Wednesday in the Nicobar group.

"The rainfall is heavy, sea conditions are bad and upper wind speeds have picked up from 10 knots to up to 30 knots (40 kms) per hour," he said, adding the conditions were in line with the onset of the annual summer monsoon.   

The deluge brought distress for thousands living in temporary shelters built after the December 2004 tsunami battered the emerald-green archipelago.

"These are flimsy tin shelters and many of these don't even have proper floorings and this kind of rain brings in a sea of water into our homes," said Martin, a Nicobarese tribesman from Moos village.   

"Added to the rains comes a variety of diseases for which the authorities are not prepared," added Aiysha Majid, chief of a nearby village.