NEW DELHI, JUL 7 (AGENCIES): After a disappointing June that left large parts of Eastern and North Eastern India rain-starved, the southwest monsoon is finally gearing up for a strong comeback, with meteorologists forecasting the region to become the country’s wettest zone during the second half of July.
Latest satellite imagery from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) shows dense cloud bands stretching across Eastern and North Eastern India, while the national rainfall map indicates monsoon activity has intensified significantly over the past week.
Although India has recorded an 11 per cent rainfall surplus between July 1 and July 6, several eastern states continue to carry rainfall deficits accumulated during June. Weather experts say that is about to change.
June was unusually sluggish for the region as the monsoon remained suppressed for extended periods.
Frequent breaks in monsoon activity and the absence of strong low-pressure systems over the Bay of Bengal prevented widespread rainfall, leaving states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and parts of the Northeast with significant rainfall shortages. That pattern is now reversing.
The IMD expects the Bay of Bengal to become increasingly active, spawning a series of low-pressure systems that are likely to travel inland. These systems, coupled with an active monsoon trough extending across northern India, are expected to pump moisture into eastern and northeastern states, triggering widespread rainfall.
The Northeast is also likely to witness a sustained spell of rain as moisture-laden winds from the Bay of Bengal interact with the region’s mountainous terrain, enhancing cloud formation and precipitation.
The revival comes as welcome news for agriculture, reservoirs and groundwater recharge across eastern India, where farmers had been waiting for consistent monsoon showers after a delayed and uneven start to the season.
While eastern India braces for heavier rain, the monsoon remains active across much of the country.
Central India continues to receive widespread rain under the influence of a monsoon trough and low-pressure systems.
With multiple weather systems now active simultaneously, forecasters say the sluggish June monsoon has firmly given way to a vigorous July phase, with eastern and northeastern India set to emerge as the biggest beneficiaries in the weeks ahead.
