Lagatar24 Desk
New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Tuesday that the southwest monsoon has covered the entire country six days ahead of its normal schedule. “The southwest monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab today. Thus, it covered the entire country on July 2, 2024, against the normal date of July 8,” stated the IMD.
The monsoon, which usually arrives in Kerala and the northeastern region in early June, made its presence felt on May 30 this year, arriving two to six days earlier than usual. It progressed normally up to Maharashtra but then slowed, delaying rains in West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, and exacerbating 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 for June. The country received 147.2 mm of rainfall against a normal of 165.3 mm for the month, marking the seventh lowest rainfall since 2001. June’s rainfall accounts for 15% of the total precipitation during the four-month monsoon season, which typically sees around 87 cm of rain.
The IMD has predicted that India could experience above-normal rainfall in July. This could lead to heavy rains and potential flooding in the western Himalayan states and central river basins, bringing both relief and challenges to the affected regions.
