Patna, June 15: The wait for rains is over, finally.

India Meteorological Department (IMD) today declared that the southwest monsoon has covered the entire Bihar with a delay of two days.

IMD, Patna, director, Ashish Sen, said: “Monsoon entered the state from both sides — Jharkhand to Gaya in the south and sub-Himalayan Bengal to Katihar and Kishanganj in the east. Rainfall was recorded in 33 out of 44 observatories across the state today. While the northeastern part of the state received heavy rainfall, south-west districts got comparatively less. The central parts, including Patna, received light rainfall because of the monsoon trough line lying slightly south of its normal position at this time.”

Sen termed this year’s onset of monsoon “marginally delayed”.

Last year, the monsoon had entered through Purnea on June 19 and covered the entire state the same day.

But despite the marginal delay, weathermen have predicted that the rains in June can be up to 10 per cent more than normal this year. “The normal monsoon rainfall in the state in June is 169.7mm. Based on our observation till date, we have made an assessment that by end of June we will see either normal rainfall or 10 per cent more than it,” said Sen.

The Met office has issued heavy rainfall warnings in the next 48 hours at several northeastern districts like Kishanganj, Katihar and Purnea. The rainfall is expected to intensify in the central parts, including Patna, over a day or two. “The trough line running from northwest Rajasthan to the east-central Bay of Bengal is gradually shifting northward, which would lead to more rainfall across most parts of Bihar over the next 48 hours,” said Sen.

The IMD, Delhi, today issued the second long-range forecast for southwest monsoon for the entire country.

It claimed that monsoon rainfall for the country is likely to be 98 per cent of the long period average (LPA) rainfall of 89cm.