New Delhi, July 9: Rainfall performance has sharply deteriorated across north-west India over the past week and pushed five key agro-meteorological zones into drought conditions, figures released today by the India Meteorological Department show.

Rainfall from the start of the monsoon season on June 1 through July 8 has been 80 per cent below normal in western Uttar Pradesh, 71 per cent below normal in Punjab, and more than 60 per cent below normal in Haryana, Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand.

The crop weather watch division of the agriculture ministry had said this week that the scanty rainfall has delayed the transplanting of rice in Punjab, and the total cultivated area of rice, coarse cereals, and oilseeds is lower than last year.

“The situation has clearly worsened since last week — all these deficits were lower last week,” said an IMD scientist. Virtually all of India’s 35 meteorological divisions currently show deficit rainfall, although weather scientists say rainfall is picking up in most parts of India except in the northwest.

“Most areas in the south, central and north-east are now receiving rain,” an IMD official said. “The pattern we are seeing, including the situation in the northwest, is close to what we have predicted,” the official said.

In its revised forecast issued two weeks ago, the IMD had predicted near-drought conditions in the north-west. The current scanty rainfall in the northwest could be classified as a full-fledged meteorological drought, but rain during the rest of the season could alter the deficit.

“We do expect fresh rainfall activity across India, including in the north-west parts, around July 15,” said Damodara Sivanand Pai, director of the long-range forecasting division at the IMD, Pune.

Weather scientists have warned that a significant rainfall deficit that accumulates by the end of July is unlikely to be erased by rainfall during August and September. Rainfall performance in July has thus become crucial, said a scientist.