Monsoon 21% above normal between July 23-29

Central India, comprising Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, received 68% more rains than normal during the week

The southwest monsoon was 21 per cent above normal during the week that ended on Wednesday, as copious rain pounded Gujarat and south Rajasthan. According to experts, this was one the best weeks in the 2015 season.

Central India, comprising Madhya Pradesh and Gujarat, received 68 per cent more rains than normal during the week.

According to India Meteorological Department, the strong revival in monsoon not only lowered the overall deficit to almost three per cent below normal from a high of seven per cent at the start of July, but also narrowed the monthly shortfall.

July is month in which India receives maximum rainfall in the four-month southwest monsoon season.

The latest data showed the total cumulative deficit in July now stood at 15 per cent, which after the first week of this month was over 50 per cent, igniting concerns of drought in some parts.

The dreaded El Nino, which was expected to cause some impact on India's southwest monsoon, seems to have been nullified by a positive Indian Ocean dipole.

The rains also filled up 91 reservoirs across the country and data from the Central Water Commission showed that till July 30, the reservoirs had 70.70 billion cubic metres of water, which was 102 per cent of the last year's level during the same time and 108 per cent of the average level of the last 10 years.

Pune-based Indian Institute of Tropical Meteorology in its forecast said post-August 10-15, the southwest monsoon might take a break for a few days.

However, despite strong revival, there have been pockets mostly in Maharashtra, north interior Karnataka, Bihar and Rayalaseema and Telangana, where the monsoon is still almost 50 per cent less than normal.

IMD data showed that from June 1, 380 out of the 613 districts in the country have received normal rains, while it is deficit or scanty in the remaining. It is these pockets where the possibility of drought looms large unless there is a significant revival in August.

Indian Council for Agricultural Research (ICAR) Deputy Director General (Crops) J S Sandhu said, "There is over 50 per cent rainfall shortage in some regions in these four states. This is acute deficit and obviously there will be some impact on pulses, coarse cereals and cotton."

Private weather forecasting agency Skymet in its latest weather update too said good run of southwest monsoon is likely to continue for the next few days and till the first week of August. For the whole of August, it said monsoon is expected to be normal at 98 per cent of Long Period Average (LPA).

National capital Delhi is expected to get good rains around first week of August which would give much needed respite from the sultry conditions, Skymet said.

The rains have vastly improved the sowing of kharif crops across the country, with more than 60 per cent area sown till July 24, the maximum jump being in pulses and oilseeds, increasing the possibility of record production.

Data from the department of agriculture showed that till July 24 total kharif crops have been sown in around 69.38 million hectares of land, which was almost 26 per cent more than area covered during the same period last year.

This is also more than normal area covered during the same period, though the increase is much smaller. Till July 24, sowing of kharif crops was completed in around 66 per cent of the normal area.

Pulses had been sown in around 7.26 million hectares of land, which is 2.44 million hectares more than the same period last year, while oilseeds were planted in around 14.30 million hectares, which is 3.52 million hectares more than the same period last year. Coarse cereals, which also includes maize was planted in around 13.57 million hectares of land, which is 4.85 million hectares more than the same period last year.