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Monsoon Advances: India Faces Rainfall Deficit Amidst New Storms
17 Jun
Summary
- 60% of districts report deficient or large deficient rainfall from June 1 to June 16.
- Southwest monsoon conditions are favorable for advancement over central states.
- Western disturbance to affect northwest India starting June 18.
As of 2026-06-17, India's weather bureau has predicted the southwest monsoon will advance across five central states, vital for the upcoming kharif sowing season. This comes as 60% of the country's districts recorded significant rainfall shortages from June 1 to June 16.
A new western disturbance, originating from the Mediterranean, is anticipated to affect northwestern India starting June 18, bringing sudden rain, strong winds, and cooler temperatures. This system is also expected to bring dust storms to Rajasthan and widespread rainfall to most northern states between June 17 and June 23.
Conditions remain favorable for the southwest monsoon to progress further in the next four to five days, extending its reach to additional parts of Telangana, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, and Chhattisgarh. The monsoon, which arrived in Kerala on June 4, has already covered significant portions of the country.
Farmers in southern India, particularly Kerala and Tamil Nadu, are advised to ensure adequate crop drainage to mitigate potential damage from forecasted heavy rainfall. The kharif harvest, commencing around September-October, accounts for approximately half of India's annual agricultural output.
