After making an entry into 15 southeastern districts on June 24, the southwest monsoon has remained almost stationary in Madhya Pradesh for the last three days, leaving several parts of the state still waiting for its arrival.

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said conditions are becoming favourable for further advancement, and the monsoon is likely to reach Bhopal and Ujjain divisions in the next two to three days. It will cover Gwalior-Chambal region towards the end.

On Saturday, Ratlam and Dhar received heavy rainfall. Several other places also experienced thundershowers, bringing some relief from the prevailing heat. The weather department has issued rain alerts for 41 districts, including Bhopal, Raisen, Sehore, Rajgarh, Vidisha, Indore, Jhabua, Alirajpur, Dhar, Burhanpur, Barwani, Khandwa, Khargone, Ujjain, Ratlam, Agar-Malwa, Shajapur, Dewas, Narmadapuram, Betul, Harda, Jabalpur and others. Light to moderate rain is possible in Gwalior, Sheopur, Morena, Bhind, Datia, Shivpuri, Guna, Ashoknagar, Neemuch, Mandsaur, Niwari and Tikamgarh.

The fresh spell of rain has helped improve the state’s overall rainfall deficit. From June 1, the state has received 58.5 mm rainfall against the normal 99 mm — a deficit of 41 per cent. Earlier, the shortfall was around 50 per cent. Western MP has received relatively better rain compared to the eastern parts.

However, the monsoon progress has come at a cost. Lightning strikes claimed five lives in the last two days. In Balaghat’s Birwa gram panchayat, two children and one adult died after lightning struck, while six others were injured. In Dewas’ Khatamba village, a gallery collapsed during a Surya Puja event due to strong winds and rain, killing two women and injuring three others, including a child.

Day temperatures dropped noticeably in many places. Khargone recorded the lowest maximum at 30 degrees Celsius, followed by Khandwa at 30.1. Major cities saw Bhopal and Indore at 33.8, Ujjain 33.5, Jabalpur 36.7 and Gwalior 41.8 degrees Celsius.

Meteorologists said the monsoon is currently lingering in the southeastern parts and is expected to gain momentum soon. The delay has been attributed to prevailing atmospheric conditions, but no major concern has been flagged yet.

Farmers in rain-deficient districts are anxiously waiting for widespread showers to begin sowing activities. The coming week will be crucial for the state’s kharif season prospects.

As of now, the focus remains on the monsoon’s further movement and its distribution across the state. The IMD will continue to monitor the situation closely in the next few days.