BENGALURU: In a new high for Karnataka in its 50-year recorded weather history, the southwest monsoon has covered as much as 60% of the state as on date and is expected to progress into the rest of the state by Monday, according to IMD.With six days left, May 2025 is set to emerge as the wettest month in 15 years. As of May 25, state recorded 139.3mm rainfall, 160% more than the cumulative rainfall of 53.6mm for the month.Acknowledging the copious rain over the past three days across coastal and Malnad districts, N Puviyarasan, regional director of IMD-Bengaluru, confirmed the earliest coverage of the southwest monsoon over Karnataka.Wettest May in over a decade in KarnatakaThis is the first time in several years that the monsoon has covered Karnataka so extensively — two weeks ahead of its normal-coverage date.GS Srinivasa Reddy, former director of Karnataka State Natural Disaster Monitoring Centre (KSNDMC), confirmed to TOI this kind of extensive monsoon coverage would be reported only by the second week of June. “However, in 2025, we’re witnessing deluge in May itself. This is unprecedented given the fact that a few locations have reported 25cm to 30cm rainfall in less than two days,” Reddy said.He said, “Unlike Kerala, Karnataka has no date for the onset of monsoon. It is only the coverage that is taken into account. Even though in 2009 when Kerala saw early onset of monsoon, there was a hiatus in the advance of the monsoon over Karnataka, resulting in delayed coverage. Now, it has already covered 60% of Karnataka. In a day or two, the entire state will be covered by the monsoon. If you look at the records, this kind of rainfall across Karnataka would be reported between June 5 and 10.”On the back of heavy rain, Karnataka is set to report its wettest May in more than a decade. Both IMD and KSNDMC have reported “large excess rainfall” for May and the premonsoon period.“As per KSNDMC, Karnataka should have received a cumulative rainfall of 53.6mm. As of May 25, Karnataka has recorded 139.3mm of rainfall (160%). Similarly, IMD data for March to May said Karnataka received 232.8mm of rainfall as against 96.7 mm, which is 141% more than the actual rainfall,” sa id an IMD officer.