NEW DELHI, July 2: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced today that the southwest monsoon has advanced into Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab, achieving nationwide coverage on July 2, 2024. This arrival is six days ahead of the usual date of July 8.
The monsoon initially reached Kerala and the northeastern region on May 30, arriving two to six days earlier than the average schedule. Progress continued normally through Maharashtra but slowed thereafter, delaying rainfall in 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, contributing to an overall deficiency in precipitation for June. The month recorded 147.2 mm of rainfall, below the normal of 165.3 mm, marking it as the seventh lowest since 2001. June’s rainfall typically constitutes 15 percent of the total precipitation during the four-month monsoon season, which averages 87 cm.
Looking ahead, the IMD has forecasted above-normal rainfall for July, predicting heavy rains that could potentially cause floods in the western Himalayan states and river basins across central India.
