Heavy rains approaching northern states: Met dept

Heavy monsoon showers are approaching some northern, western and central parts of the country, a Met forecast said, as key cereal, oilseeds, soybean and cotton growing areas will continue to receive rains, easing concerns of a drought.

Heavy monsoon showers are approaching some northern, western and central parts of the country, a Met forecast said, as key cereal, oilseeds, soybean and cotton growing areas will continue to receive rains, easing concerns of a drought.

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As the monsoon enters the third month, the rains were 23% below average until July 30 since the beginning of the rainy season in June.

After a much-needed revival in mid-July, the rains were 24% above average in the week ending July 23, the first surplus during this season. The rain-bearing system has since slowed down, with rains for the week ending July 30 up 9% below average.

A Met bulletin forecasts heavy showers in parts of Goa and coastal Maharashtra, apart from Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Maharashtra, on August 1. On August 2, strong showers are expected in north India, including in J&K, Himachal Pradesh and Uttrakhand, which witnessed a cloudburst.

A steadily recovering monsoon ensured that July rainfall in Mumbai stood at a historic high at 1461 mm, up from an earlier record of 1455.5 mm in July 1965, private forecaster Skymet said. Two days of heavy torrential rain in the Pune region caused a massive landslide, killing at least 20 people.