Monsoon advances further across north, central India; rains set to boost kharif sowing
A low-pressure system over the Bay of Bengal is expected to bring widespread rainfall to key agricultural regions even as July rainfall is forecast to be below normal.
NEW DELHI: The southwest monsoon has advanced further across north and central India, covering all of Delhi and Uttar Pradesh and extending into more parts of Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab and Rajasthan. The normal onset date of the monsoon over Delhi is 27 June. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), conditions remain favourable for the monsoon to advance further.
"Conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into some more parts of Gujarat, remaining parts of Madhya Pradesh, Haryana & Punjab, and some more parts of Rajasthan during next 2-3 days," the IMD said in its latest update.
The weather office said a low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal and adjoining north Odisha-West Bengal coasts is expected to keep the monsoon active across central India over the next five days. The system is likely to bring widespread rainfall to key agricultural regions, supporting sowing and transplanting.
However, in its forecast issued on 30 June, the IMD said India is likely to receive below-normal rainfall during July, with 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 share of seasonal rainfall.
The improved monsoon progress comes at a crucial time for the kharif season. Government data released earlier this week showed that as of 26 June, paddy, the largest kharif crop, had been sown over 2.57 million hectares, compared with 3.44 million hectares during the corresponding period in 2025, down by 865,000 hectares.
Overall kharif sowing stood at 18.27 million hectares as of 26 June, compared with 23.64 million hectares during the same period last year. The active spell of monsoon rainfall is expected to accelerate sowing.
With rains spreading across key agricultural belts, farmers are expected to step up sowing, particularly of paddy, soybean, cotton and pulses.
The IMD has also forecast isolated extremely heavy rainfall over Saurashtra and Kutch during 2-4 July; south Gujarat and Konkan during 3-5 July; west Madhya Pradesh and Odisha on 3-4 July; and Madhya Maharashtra during 3-5 July.
Meanwhile, the IMD said no significant change in maximum temperatures is likely across most parts of the country until 8 July. Hot and humid conditions, however, are expected to persist over the plains of Arunachal Pradesh and Assam during 3-6 July.
About the Author
Vijay C. Roy is a journalist with over 21 years of experience covering various news beats across different organisations such as Business Standard and The Tribune. In the past, he has covered beats such as finance, auto, MSME, commodities, FMCG, pharmaceutical, agriculture, IT/ITES, infrastructure and start-ups. He joined Mint in February 2025, and covers agriculture, food processing, fertilizers, environment and climate change, bringing over two decades of experience reporting on farm policy, food inflation, crop trade, and rural livelihoods.<br><br>Vijay’s areas of reporting include food security and climate change policies, focusing on their impact on different stakeholders and their implications. His expertise lies in simplifying complex agri-economic issues such as edible oil import dependence, cotton and wheat trends, fertiliser subsidies, and climate-related risks. He has covered key developments including global supply disruptions and evolving trade policies, offering both macroeconomic perspective and field-level context. Known for his credible and balanced reporting, he follows a rigorous, fact-based approach that prioritises accuracy and context. He is driven by a commitment to public interest, aiming to make critical agricultural and economic issues accessible while contributing to informed policy and industry discussions.
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