The southwest monsoon’s advance into central and northern parts of India has slowed considerably due to a massive influx of dry air over the country’s interior, delaying the spread of widespread rainfall and raising concerns among farmers awaiting the start of the sowing season.
Meteorologists say dry air pushing into central India is acting as a barrier against moisture-laden monsoon winds, preventing them from progressing further inland.
As a result, the monsoon’s movement, which typically gathers pace in June, has become sluggish over the past several days.
According to weather experts, meaningful progress of the monsoon into central India is unlikely until the dry air weakens or is pushed back by stronger monsoon currents. Current projections suggest that a more significant advance may occur only after June 20.
The slowdown is being felt particularly in Maharashtra, where authorities have advised farmers not to rush with sowing operations due to the lack of widespread and sustained rainfall.
Officials from the state’s Agriculture and Disaster Management Department said weather forecasts indicate subdued rainfall activity and slow monsoon advancement across much of the state through mid-June.
While the southwest monsoon has entered parts of south Konkan, bringing moderate to heavy rain in districts such as Sindhudurg and Ratnagiri, the broader rainfall pattern remains uneven. The department said rainfall activity across large parts of Maharashtra is expected to remain weak over the next week.
Regions including Vidarbha, Marathwada, Khandesh, and Madhya Maharashtra may witness cloudy skies and scattered thunderstorms, accompanied by afternoon showers, until at least June 15. However, these rains are expected to be isolated and insufficient for large-scale agricultural operations.
Premature sowing could expose crops to moisture stress if rains fail to continue after initial planting. Farmers have therefore been urged to wait for more reliable rainfall before beginning widespread sowing of key kharif crops.
Meanwhile, monsoon rains have started picking up in parts of Karnataka, offering some signs of strengthening activity along the western coast. However, experts caution that the dry-air intrusion over central India remains the primary obstacle to the monsoon’s northward march.
The delayed advance is not unusual in itself, meteorologists note, but the persistence of dry air has created a temporary standstill in the monsoon’s progression. Weather agencies will closely monitor conditions over the coming days to determine when moisture-rich winds can regain momentum and push the monsoon deeper into the country.
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