Monsoon arrives but IMD records 45% below average rain
India's monsoon is here, but the skies are still pretty clear: rainfall between June 4 and June 26 was a big 45% below average, says the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
While satellite images show some thick cloud bands over the northeast and parts of southern India, much of Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Rajasthan, and Uttar Pradesh are missing those classic monsoon clouds.
IMD expects northwest India showers
Gujarat saw an 84% rainfall deficit; Madhya Pradesh got only one-half its usual rain.
Similar shortfalls hit states like Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Odisha, Karnataka, Tamil Nadu, and Kerala.
Meteorologists say it's because strong weather systems haven't formed in the Bay of Bengal or Arabian Sea yet.
But there's hope: a new tropical system could boost rains by early July.
The IMD expects better showers across northwest India during the first week of July.