Monsoon Covers Entire India Nine Days Early, June Sees 8 pc Above-Normal Rainfall
The monsoon has covered the entire India 9 days before the normal date of July 8. This is the fastest nationwide coverage of monsoon after 2020, when the monsoon had reached the entire country by June 26.
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The Southwest Monsoon has covered the entire country by June 29, nine days ahead of its normal date of July 8. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), this is the fastest nationwide monsoon coverage since 2020, when the monsoon reached the entire country by June 26.
On Sunday, several parts of the country, including western Uttar Pradesh, western Madhya Pradesh, Jharkhand, Uttarakhand, Haryana, Punjab, and Delhi, experienced widespread rainfall. While this brought much-needed relief from the intense heatwave, heavy rains in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh triggered landslides, causing damage to life and property.
Red Alert for Uttarakhand and Jharkhand
The IMD has predicted that heavy to very heavy rainfall will continue over many parts of northwest, central, east, and northeast India for the next seven days. A red alert has been issued for extremely heavy rainfall in Uttarakhand and Jharkhand on June 30. An orange warning has been issued for heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, Punjab, Haryana, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, eastern Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, Madhya Maharashtra, and Vidarbha.
Heavy Rains and Landslides Trigger Accidents in Hills
In the past 24 hours, heavy rain and landslides have caused multiple accidents in Uttarakhand and Himachal Pradesh. The Char Dham Yatra was suspended for a day, and the Adi Kailash route has also been blocked. In Uttarkashi, seven workers went missing after cloudburst and lanslides near Silai Bend area on the Yamunotri Highway. The bodies of two workers have been recovered so far. In the Mori area of Uttarkashi, a vehicle lost control and plunged into the Rupin River. Cloudbursts in the Yamuna Valley have caused widespread devastation in several places.
Heavy rains in Himachal Pradesh have disrupted life. 39 people have died and 4 are missing across the state due to landslides. The Meteorological Department has predicted heavy rains in the state till July 5. A warning has been issued for flash floods in 10 districts in the next 24 hours.
8% Above-Normal Rainfall in June
Between June 1 and June 29, the country recorded 8% above-normal rainfall. During this period, northwest India received 37% above normal, and central India saw 24% above normal rainfall. However, eastern and northeastern regions recorded 17% below normal, and southern India saw 2% below normal rainfall. Out of the country’s 36 meteorological subdivisions, 26 have recorded normal or above-normal rainfall, covering nearly 76% of India’s land area.
The IMD has forecast 106% of the Long Period Average (LPA) rainfall for this monsoon season — good news for agriculture and the economy. Farmers typically begin planting summer-sown crops like rice, corn, cotton, soybeans, and sugarcane following the onset of monsoon rains. A timely and well-distributed monsoon is crucial for ensuring healthy crop growth and securing agricultural livelihoods across the country.
