The monsoon advances further across northern, central India; rain to support kharif sowing | Today’s news
NEW DELHI: The Southwest Monsoon has advanced over North and Central India covering entire Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and spread to other parts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. The normal date of onset of monsoon over Delhi is 27th June. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), conditions remain favorable for the further advance of the monsoon.
“Conditions are favorable for further advance of Southwest Monsoon over some other parts of Gujarat, remaining parts of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana and Punjab and some other parts of Rajasthan during the next 2-3 days,” the IMD said in its latest update.
The Met Office said a low pressure area over northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Odisha-West Bengal coast is expected to keep monsoon active in central India during the next five days. The system is likely to bring widespread rainfall to key agricultural areas and support sowing and transplanting.
However, in its forecast issued on June 30, the IMD said India is likely to experience sub-normal rainfall in July, with the monthly rainfall expected to be below 94% of the long period average (LPA). The LPA for July, based on rainfall data for 1971–2020, is 280.4 mm.
The southwest monsoon is vital to India’s agriculture, water reservoirs and rural economy, with July typically accounting for a significant proportion of seasonal rainfall.
The improved monsoon progress comes at a crucial time for the kharif season. Government data released earlier this week showed that over 2.57 million hectares of rice, the biggest kharif crop, had been sown as of June 26, compared with 3.44 million hectares in the corresponding period in 2025, down 865,000 hectares.
The total kharif area stood at 18.27 million hectares as of June 26 compared to 23.64 million hectares in the same period last year. An active period of monsoon rainfall is expected to accelerate sowing.
With rain spreading across key agricultural belts, farmers are expected to step up sowing, particularly of paddy, soybeans, cotton and pulses.
The IMD has also predicted isolated extremely heavy rainfall over Saurashtra and Kutch during 2-4. July; southern Gujarat and Konkan during the 3rd–5th July; western Madhya Pradesh and Odisha on 3-4 July; and Madhya Maharashtra during 3-5 july
Meanwhile, the IMD said that there is likely to be no significant change in maximum temperatures in most parts of the country till July 8. However, hot and humid conditions are expected to persist over the plains of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam during July 3-6.
