The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said that southwest monsoon on Sunday covered the entire country six days before the normal date. Monsoon advanced in the remaining parts of Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana. As many as 16 states and union territories received deficient rainfall in June, with Bihar and Kerala reporting deficits at 69 per cent and 60 per cent below normal respectively.

Other states like Uttar Pradesh, Maharashtra, Karnataka, Jharkhand, Andhra Pradesh and Telangana also received less rainfall than normal for June. “The monthly rainfall averaged over the country as a whole during July 2023 is most likely to be normal (94 to 106 per cent of LPA) and most probably within the positive side of the normal,” IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra was quoted as saying by PTI.

The long period average (LPA) of rainfall over the country during July based on the data of 1971-2020 is about 280.4 mm. The weather office said in its bulletin: “The Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into remaining parts of Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab today, the 2nd July 2023. Thus, it has covered the entire country today, the 2nd July 2023, against the normal date of 08th July (6 days before the normal date of covering the entire India)”.

The weather office added that in July, normal to above normal temperatures are likely to prevail over most parts of the country except some parts of northwest and peninsular India. El Nino conditions are expected to develop in July. El Nino refers to the phenomenon of warming of the equatorial Pacific Ocean. This is known to suppress monsoon rainfall. IMD Director General Mohapatra added that in June this year, rainfall has been within the normal range.

Meanwhile, the Met department predicted heavy to very heavy with extremely heavy rainfall at isolated places over sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim and Meghalaya on July 3, Kerala on July 4 and 5, and coastal Karnataka and south interior Karnataka on July 3-6. Heavy to very heavy rainfall is also likely to prevail over isolated parts of Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh during the next 2 days.

Tamil Nadu and Kerala are also likely to witness heavy to very heavy rainfall during the next four days. Similar weather conditions are likely to be witnessed in sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, Konkan and Goa, and Madhya Maharashtra during July 4-6.

Northeastern states like Assam and Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram and Tripura also witness heavy to very heavy rain showers during the next 5 days. Heavy rainfall is likely to prevail in isolated pockets of Himachal Pradesh, west Uttar Pradesh, east Rajasthan, Madhya Pradesh and Vidarbha on July 5-6.

Similar weather conditions are also likely to be witnessed in Uttarakhand during the next five days and in east Uttar Pradesh from July 3-6. Chhattisgarh, Assam and Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, and north interior Karnataka are also likely to receive heavy downpour from July 4-6. Odisha, Telangana and Rayalaseema are likely to witness heavy rainfall during July 3-5 whereas Jharkhand will witness similar weather conditions on July 3-4.

While Lakshadweep will witness heavy downpour on July 4, similar weather conditions will prevail over coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam on July 3 and 5. Konkan and Goa and Madhya Maharashtra are likely to witness heavy downpour during the next two days whereas Gujarat region, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, and Karaikal will witness such weather conditions on July 6.