NEW DELHI: The monsoon is likely to advance over remaining parts of West Bengal, coastal Andhra Pradesh and some parts of Orissa, Jharkhand and Bihar during the next two days, an inter-ministerial meeting on crop sowing held in the Ministry of Agriculture was told.

Moderate rainfall activity over north-eastern States, east India and along the west coast was likely to continue till June 8 after which the Southwest monsoon was likely to go into a "weak phase" as per the National Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasting.

According to weather experts, subdued rainfall activity was likely to continue over the interior peninsula, central and northwest India between June 5 and 8. An upper air cyclonic circulation in the mid-troposphere had descended into lower troposphere over the head of the Bay of Bengal. An east-west trough was also establishing. Under their influence a low pressure area was likely to form over remaining parts of West Bengal. It was likely to increase the rainfall activity and the consequent advance of monsoon, the weather expert informed the meeting.

The meeting noted with concern the forecast for weakening of monsoon after June 8. If that were the case, an advisory would be issued for farmers to plan sowing accordingly.

So far with the advance of monsoon activity, the sowing of summer rice, sugarcane and coarse cereals has been higher than last year. The total coverage of rice has been 49.36 lakh hectares against 40.19 lakh hectares. The area under pulses is also higher at 138.5 lakh tonnes against 130.5 lakh tonnes sown. There are 52 reservoirs with more than 80 % storage, seven reservoirs having storage between 50 to 80 % , five reservoirs with between 30 and 50 per cent.

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