New Delhi | India has recorded normal rainfall so far this monsoon season, but the distribution is highly uneven across states, the latest state-wise compilation by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) shows.

Between June 1 and August 10, the country recorded 539 mm of rain against a normal of 535.6 mm, about 1 per cent above the long-period average.

Of the 36 states and union territories for which the IMD provides figures, 25 are in the "normal" category (within 19 per cent of the long-period average), five are "deficient" (20 to 59 per cent below normal), five are in the "excess" category (20 to 59 per cent above normal) and one (Ladakh) is in the "large excess" category (more than 60 per cent above normal).

No state or union territory is in the cumulative "large deficient" category for the period.

Arunachal Pradesh, Assam, Meghalaya, Sikkim and Bihar have recorded seasonal shortfalls.

Arunachal Pradesh gauged 652.1 mm against a normal of 1,081.0 mm (about 40 per cent below normal), Assam 603.8 mm (37 per cent below normal), Meghalaya 978.7 mm (45 per cent below normal), Sikkim 837.4 mm (20 per cent below normal) and Bihar 438.3 mm (25 per cent below).

Five states or union territories are in the excess category -- Jharkhand (853.7 mm; 41 per cent above normal), Delhi (433.5 mm; 37 per cent above), Rajasthan (430.6 mm; 58 per cent above), Madhya Pradesh (745.3 mm; 30 per cent above) and Puducherry (258.2 mm; 32 per cent above).

Ladakh stands out in the large-excess column with 31.8 mm against a normal of 14.8 mm (about 115 per cent above normal).

Twenty-five states and union territories, spanning north, central, east and south India, recorded seasonal totals within ±19 per cent of the long-period average.

This group includes Uttar Pradesh (478.0 mm; 11 per cent above normal), Maharashtra (585.2 mm; about 9 per cent below normal but within the normal band) and Karnataka (587.8 mm; 10 per cent above normal).

While the cumulative picture shows the country close to normal, the season has been marked by sharp spatial and temporal variability.

Parts of the western Himalayas, especially Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand, have seen cloudbursts, flash floods and widespread landslides in July and early August, disrupting roads and local life.

The national capital region also faced episodes of heavy downpour and waterlogging in late July and early August.

The IMD has noted the unevenness of rainfall so far and expects the second half of the monsoon (August-September) to be generally wetter, with above-normal rainfall likely over the country as a whole.

However, some pockets, including parts of the northeast and adjoining eastern India, are expected to remain on the drier side.

The IMD has also said that northeast India has experienced below-normal rainfall for several consecutive years and warned of continuing regional differences in rainfall activity.

In May, the IMD predicted that India would receive 106 per cent of the long-period average rainfall of 87 cm during the June-September monsoon season. Rainfall ranging between 96 and 104 per cent of this 50-year average is considered "normal".

The monsoon plays a critical role in India's agriculture sector, which supports the livelihood of around 42 per cent of the population and contributes 18.2 per cent to the national GDP. It is also crucial for replenishing reservoirs used for drinking water and power generation.