NEW DELHI: Monsoon covered the entire country on Sunday, nine days before the normal date, advancing into the remaining parts of Delhi-NCR, Rajasthan, west UP and Haryana, IMD said.This is only the fourth time in the past 25 years that monsoon covered NCR and remaining parts of northwest India the same day. The last time this happened was on July 13 in 2021, whereas the earliest date on which such an event took place was June 16 in 2013 — the day Kedarnath witnessed a major disaster due to cloudburst and flash floods.It has taken monsoon 37 days to cover the entire country this time since its onset over Kerala on May 24, eight days before the normal date. On an average, monsoon covers all of India in 38 days (June 1-July 8). In 2013, it had covered the entire country in just 16 days.IMD data shows India as a whole received 8% more cumulative monsoon rainfall than normal till June 29, with northwest and central parts getting over 37% and 24% excess rain, respectively, boosting sowing operations this June compared with the corresponding period last year.IMD predicts heavy rainfall in several parts of country over next seven days

Records show that early/delayed onset or early/delayed coverage doesn’t impact quantitative aspects of the rainfall or its distribution over the country during the four-month monsoon season (June 1-Sept 30). It, however, guides the progress of kharif — summer-sown crops such as paddy, sugarcane, coarse cereals and cotton — sowing operations as farmers usually decide on the crops to opt for keeping in mind the requirements of the irrigation cycle.Though east & northeast India and the southern peninsula reported a rainfall deficit of 16.7% and 1.7%, respectively, till June 29, it did not impact the overall acreage of kharif crops in the country. Latest data from agriculture ministry shows that all kharif crops taken together reported an acreage of 138 lakh hectares till June 20 compared to 125 lakh hectares at the same time last year — an increase of over 10%.Meanwhile, IMD, has predicted “heavy to very heavy rainfall” over many parts of northwest, central, east & northeast India over the next seven days.