New Delhi: The southwest monsoon has staged a strong comeback across large parts of India, bringing the country’s cumulative rainfall deficit down to 19 per cent after weeks of below-normal precipitation.
Fresh data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) for the period between June 4 and July 8 shows the country has received 179.4 mm of rainfall against the normal 222 mm, significantly improving from the much steeper deficits recorded in June.
The revival has been driven by widespread rainfall over central, western and eastern India, where several states have either returned to normal rainfall levels or moved into surplus.
Maharashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Rajasthan, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh and West Bengal are now reporting near-normal monsoon rainfall, providing much-needed relief to farmers after a delayed advance of the monsoon.
Satellite imagery from INSAT-3DS on Wednesday morning showed dense cloud bands stretching across central and eastern India, with active monsoon conditions continuing over parts of the Indo-Gangetic plains and the northeast. Fresh rain-bearing systems over the Bay of Bengal are expected to sustain rainfall over large parts of the country over the next few days.
However, the national improvement masks sharp regional disparities. The most worrying situation is unfolding in Delhi, where the capital continues to grapple with a 51 per cent rainfall deficit.
Between June 4 and July 8, Delhi received only 47.3 mm of rain against the normal 96.1 mm, despite the monsoon officially arriving in the city.
Neighbouring states are also facing significant shortfalls. Uttar Pradesh has a 42 per cent rainfall deficit, Punjab 31 per cent, Haryana 29 per cent, Bihar 56 per cent, Jharkhand 39 per cent, Gujarat 20 per cent, Karnataka 24 per cent and Kerala 30 per cent below normal.
The northeastern region also presents a mixed picture. While Sikkim and Tripura have recorded normal rainfall, Assam, Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh and Mizoram continue to remain below normal. Manipur is facing a large rainfall deficit.
On the brighter side, Jammu and Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Telangana and Andhra Pradesh have largely erased their earlier deficits. Lakshadweep has also recorded normal rainfall.
Meteorologists say the strengthening of the monsoon circulation, aided by multiple low-pressure systems over the Bay of Bengal and an active offshore trough along the west coast, has accelerated rainfall during the first week of July.
The improved distribution has prevented the nationwide rainfall deficit from worsening after one of the driest starts to the monsoon season in more than a century.
Despite the recovery, weather experts caution that the season remains far from balanced. Large deficits across the northern plains, particularly Delhi and adjoining states, continue to raise concerns for groundwater recharge, reservoir inflows and agriculture if widespread rainfall does not materialise in the coming weeks.
