Monsoon finally covers entire India, marking slowest advance since 2021
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📌 Summary:
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IMD announced the southwest monsoon covered the entire country on July 9 — one day after the normal date — after advancing into remaining parts of Rajasthan, Haryana, Punjab and the north Arabian Sea
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This is the most delayed full coverage since 2021 (when it was July 12); recent years saw earlier coverage: 2025 (June 29), 2024 (July 2), 2023 (July 2), 2022 (July 2)
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The season has been erratic: June ended with a 40% all-India rainfall deficit, but an active July has made up almost all of the deficit
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As of July 8, seasonal rainfall stands at 195.5 mm — 15% above the norm-band midpoint, categorised as 'normal'; only ~25% of the country's geographical area remains rain-deficient
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IMD has forecast widespread heavy rain over north and parts of central India (Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, UP, MP) for the next two days
🎯 UPSC Relevance: GS1 Geography — monsoon mechanism, intra-seasonal variability and its implications for kharif sowing and the economy
📝 Prelims Facts:
- Normal date for monsoon to cover entire India: July 8
- 2026 full coverage: July 9; slowest since 2021 (July 12)
- June 2026 all-India rainfall deficit: 40%
🔑 Key Term: Southwest monsoon — seasonal wind reversal (June–September) that delivers ~75% of India's annual rainfall; onset over Kerala ~June 1, full-country coverage ~July 8
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