The southwest monsoon covered the entire country on July 9, a day later than its normal date of July 8, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). While the monsoon has now reached all parts of India, the weather agency said the current active phase is coming to an end, with rainfall expected to gradually decrease from July 10 and become below normal from July 15.

The monsoon season began with a delayed onset over Kerala on June 4, followed by a nearly two-week lull in rainfall. However, widespread rains during late June and early July helped improve the overall rainfall situation across the country.

According to IMD data, the all-India monsoon rainfall deficit has narrowed from 40% on June 30 to 14% as of July 9. India has received 205 mm of rainfall so far this season against a long-period average (LPA) of 233.1 mm. East and northeast India continue to record the largest deficit at 38% below normal.

In its national weather bulletin, the IMD said the southwest monsoon advanced into the remaining parts of the north Arabian Sea, Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab on July 9, completing its coverage of the country. A well-marked low-pressure area over southwest Uttar Pradesh and adjoining regions is expected to bring enhanced rainfall there through July 10.

The IMD has also forecast isolated extremely heavy rainfall over west Uttar Pradesh and Uttarakhand on July 10. An orange alert has been issued for parts of Himachal Pradesh, including Spiti, Kinnaur, Kullu, Mandi, Shimla and Sirmaur, due to the possibility of landslides, mudslides and rising water levels in rivers and streams.

Director General of Meteorology M. Mohapatra said the active phase of the monsoon has concluded and rainfall is expected to gradually reduce over the next two weeks. OP Sreejith, Scientist and Head of the Climate Monitoring and Prediction Group at IMD, said the northward shift of the monsoon trough is likely to reduce rainfall activity across much of the country, with below-normal rainfall expected from July 15.

For July as a whole, the IMD has forecast rainfall at 94% of the long-period average, categorising it as below normal. The department has also projected seasonal monsoon rainfall at 90% of the LPA, citing the expected influence of El Niño conditions.

During the 24 hours ending at 8:30 a.m. on July 10, the IMD recorded extremely heavy rainfall in parts of Uttarakhand, west Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Maharashtra and Meghalaya. Very heavy rainfall was also reported in parts of the sub-Himalayan region, West Bengal, Tamil Nadu, the Konkan region and Tripura, while heavy showers in Delhi led to waterlogging and traffic disruptions in several areas.

Sources: Hindustan Times