India's monsoon set to cover entire country over a week early
MUMBAI, June 26 (Reuters) - India's annual monsoon rains are set to cover the entire country within the next three to four days, over a week ahead of their typical schedule, two senior weather officials said on Thursday, accelerating planting of summer-sown crops.
The monsoon, the lifeblood of India's nearly $4 trillion economy, delivers almost 70% of the rainfall needed to water farms and replenish aquifers and reservoirs.
Nearly half of India's farmland, which is not irrigated, depends on the annual June-September rains for crop growth.
In a typical year, rains lash the southwestern coastal state of Kerala around June 1 and move northwards to cover the entire country by July 8.
After stalling for two weeks, the monsoon regained momentum last week and rapidly covered central India and most northern states, the India Meteorological Department said.
Rains had reached all parts of India except some areas in the northwestern state of Rajasthan, neighbouring Haryana, Delhi and Uttar Pradesh, an IMD chart released on Thursday showed.
The monsoon has continued its expansion over some parts of northwestern states, said R. K. Jenamani, head of the national weather forecasting centre, and conditions are favourable for it to reach the remaining untouched areas over the next three to four days.
Despite receiving rainfall 31% below average in the first half of June, the monsoon's revival has turned the deficit into a 9% surplus so far this month.
Central and northern states are likely to receive above-average rainfall this week and next week, which will help farmers accelerate sowing of summer-sown crops, another weather official said.
Farmers usually start planting summer-sown crops such as rice, corn, cotton, soybeans, and sugarcane after the arrival of monsoon rains.
India is likely to see above-average monsoon rains for the second straight year in 2025, according to an IMD forecast released last month.
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