Southwest Monsoon covered entire India two weeks ahead of schedule: IMD

The Southwest Monsoon has covered the entire India approximately two weeks ahead of its schedule, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday.

The Southwest Monsoon has covered entire India approximately two weeks ahead of its schedule, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday. The monsoon usually sets over Kerala on June 1 and it takes 45 days to reach Sriganganagar in west Rajasthan, which is its last outpost in the country.

"Monsoon has covered the entire India which means the entire country has felt its presence. The Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into the remaining parts of Rajasthan, Haryana, and Punjab and also Kanyakumari," said Anand Sharma, IMD Deputy Director-General while speaking to ANI. "We have said in the beginning that this year India will receive above-normal rainfall. If we see week wise progress, first two weeks we have recorded above normal rainfall. Till June 24, the country has received 22 percent of the downpour predicted," he added.

"We expect that rainfall activity will continue till the first week of July in north-east India and in southern India, the rain will be there till July 2. After that, from July 2 to July 9, the monsoon activity will increase in the southern part of the country and will later move towards the central part of India."