Monsoon Alert: Likely to cover entire country in next 2-3 days

[K.Karthik Raja]

Monsoon Alert: Likely to cover entire country in next 2-3 days
Tuesday, Jul 8
.
NEW DELHI - The crucial southwest monsoon is likely to cover the
entire
country in the next two-to-three days, the India Meteorological
Department
said today.
"Conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest
monsoon over
remaining parts of Rajasthan during the next two-to-three days," the
Met said
in its monsoon update.
The southwest monsoon has so far covered most of the country,
except some
parts of Rajasthan.
The normal date for monsoon to cover the entire country is Jul 15.
Monsoon rains have so far been way above normal.
Between Jun 1 and Jul 2, the weighted average rainfall in the
country was
21% above normal at 217.1 mm.
The Met has predicted Jun-Sep rains at 100% of the long period
average.
The monsoon is crucial for India's agriculture as most of the
country's
farm lands are not irrigated.
The government is banking on a normal monsoon to moderate
inflation, which
hit a 13-year-high of 11.63% for the week ended Jun 21. End
.