Monsoon hit the southern coasts of the country on Sunday bringing rains to Kerala and Tamil Nadu and raising hopes of an immediate respite from a heat wave that has claimed around 1,400 lives, most of them in Andhra Pradesh, in the past three weeks.

The Indian Meteorological Department said the southwest monsoon has advanced into most parts of Kerala and parts of Tamil Nadu.

Rain lashed several districts of Kerala with Kozhikode recording 14cm, Kochi 8cm, Alleppey 7cm, Kottayam 3cm, MET Department official S K Subramaniam said in Delhi.

The onset of the southwest monsoon over Kerala and its impact on Tamil Nadu brought some respite to the state with temperatures dropping marginally to around 41 degrees, the Met office in Chennai said.

Krishnagiri received 6cm of rainfall while Perambalur, Nagarkoil and Kumbakonam recorded 5cm each and Dharmapuri, Hosur, Vaniyambadi, Uvallur and Karikal 3cm each.

Subramaniam said conditions are favourable for the monsoon to advance into Karnataka.

Good rainfall is expected in Kerala and Karnataka in the next 2-3 days following strengthening of the Arabian branch of the southwest monsoon, Subramaniam said.

The southwest monsoon, which usually arrives in Kerala on June first, got delayed this year. Meanwhile, the monsoon in the Northeast has not advanced further.

Subramaniam attributed the temperature dip in Delhi and surrounding areas to the southwesterly winds.