The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has stated that a well-marked low-pressure area over the northwest Bay of Bengal will keep the monsoon in an 'active phase' over central India for the next 4-5 days.This development comes as the cumulative rainfall deficit for June 1-July 4 dropped to nearly 27%, down from 40% four days prior.

The low-pressure system is expected to bring widespread to widespread rainfall across Odisha, Jharkhand, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Vidarbha, parts of Gujarat, and Maharashtra's Konkan region until July 10.While this will help reduce the deficit and support ongoing sowing operations, the active monsoon phase may also lead to extreme rainfall events.

The IMD has issued red alerts for Odisha, Gujarat, western Maharashtra, and Goa for the next three days, urging local authorities to take precautionary measures.Central India, which had the highest deficit of 50% as of June 30, saw the deficit drop to 23% by Saturday.However, the eastern and northeastern regions still face a 41% deficit, impacting kharif crop sowing in Bihar, Jharkhand, and eastern Uttar Pradesh.The monsoon is gradually advancing into northwest India, with the IMD predicting coverage of remaining regions by July 8.