IMD confirms monsoon has covered entire country two weeks in advance

Monsoon usually covered the entire country only by July 15 which makes the current speed of rain clouds commendable.

A young girl plays with an inflated ball under a cloudy sky in Delhi. (PTI)

New Delhi: Monsoon rains officially covered the entire country on Friday - full two weeks before the usual date of July 15.

The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that monsoon made good progress and was early in covering the entire country this year. "Usually monsoon covers the country by July 15 but this time it has come early and today it has covered the entire country," Dr Sathi Devi of IMD told news agency ANI. She also predicted heavy to very heavy rainfall for several parts of the country over the next three days.

The arrival date and the intensity of monsoon in India is intricately linked with the country's agricultural sector. A good and timely monsoon has the potential of being a big boon for the economy. Rains also ensure relief from the searing and scorching heat of the summer months in the country.

Apart from IMD, private weather monitoring agencies like Skymet Weather too have been tracking monsoon and have confirmed that rain clouds have covered the whole of the country. Moving forward, Skymet Weather has predicted rainfall in most parts of the country including the capital city of New Delhi.