Monsoon covers entire country 6 days ahead of normal date

The southwest monsoon covered the entire country on Tuesday, six days ahead of its normal date, boosting prospects of kharif sowing, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

"The southwest monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of Rajasthan, Haryana and Punjab today. Thus, it covered the entire country on July 2, 2024, against the normal date of July 8," the IMD said in a statement.

The monsoon arrived in Kerala and the northeastern region on May 30, two and six days earlier than usual, respectively. It progressed normally up to Maharashtra but lost momentum in between, extending the wait for rains in West Bengal, Bihar, Uttar Pradesh, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, and worsening the impact of a scorching heatwave in northwest India.