After Below-Average Rainfall In June, Monsoon Covers Entire Country Six Days Ahead Of Schedule, IMD Reports

The southwest monsoon has covered the entire country six days ahead of the usual schedule according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

"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 30 May, two and six days earlier than usual, respectively.

While the monsoon progressed normally up to Maharashtra, it lost momentum, delaying rains in West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh. This had exacerbated the impact of a severe heat wave in northwest India.

From 11 to 27 June, the country experienced 16 days of below-normal rainfall, resulting in an overall below-normal precipitation for June. The recorded rainfall was 147.2 mm against the normal 165.3 mm for the month, the seventh lowest since 2001.

June rainfall contributes 15 per cent of the total 87 cm of precipitation recorded during the four-month monsoon season in India.

On 1 July, the IMD indicated that India could see 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.