NEW DELHI: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Tuesday that the southwest monsoon has covered the entire country six days ahead of the normal date.
"The southwest monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab today. Thus, it covered the entire country on 2nd July 2024, against the normal date of July 8 (six days before the normal date of covering the entire India)," the IMD stated.
The monsoon reached Kerala and the northeastern region on May 30 arriving two and six days earlier than usual, respectively.
It advanced normally up to Maharashtra but then slowed down, delaying the onset of rains in several states, including West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. This delay exacerbated the impact of a severe heat wave in northwest India.
From June 11 to June 27, the country experienced 16 days of below-normal
rainfall activity, resulting in an overall below-normal precipitation of 147.2 mm in June, compared to the normal of 165.3 mm for the month.
This marks the seventh lowest June rainfall since 2001. June rainfall contributes 15 percent of the total precipitation of 87 cm recorded during the four-month monsoon season in the country.
The IMD forecasted on Monday that India could experience above-normal rainfall in July, with heavy rains potentially causing floods in the western Himalayan states and river basins in the central parts of the country.