New Delhi, Sep 17 (IANS): The weekly cumulative monsoon rainfall over central and northwest India was 150 per cent and 53 per cent higher, respectively, than the long period average (LPA), due to which the all-India monsoon rainfall deficit till September 15 shrunk 4 per cent of the LPA.

The all-India rainfall from June 1 till September 15 was 772.7 mm as against the 807.4 mm normal projection.

For East and Northeast India on the one hand and the Southern Peninsula on the other, the departure from the LPA was by 27 and 26 per cent, respectively, for the week.

In IMD parlance, LPA of rainfall is based on data between 1961 and 2010.

The overall rainfall status for the season, i.e., from June 1 till September 15, has shown that East and Northeast India and Northwest India witnessed deficit of 11 per cent each while Central India recorded deficit of 3 per cent from LPA, while the Southern Peninsula received 12 per cent excess rainfall than the LPA, data analysis by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said.

Forecast for the next two weeks from the IMD said that under the influence of well-marked low-pressure area and associated cyclonic circulation and active monsoon trough, fairly widespread rainfall with isolated heavy to very heavy falls are very likely over West Madhya Pradesh on Friday and isolated heavy falls from September 18-21.

Isolated heavy falls over Uttarakhand are expected between September 19 and 22.

Fairly widespread rainfall activity with isolated heavy falls will witness increase in intensity with isolated heavy to very heavy falls from September 18 to 22 over Gujarat.

Rainfall activity is also likely to increase over West Rajasthan, Saurashtra and Kutch with possibility of isolated heavy falls from September 18 to 20.

Rainfall activity is likely to increase over Odisha and West Bengal with fairly widespread to widespread rainfall and isolated heavy falls over the above areas from September 18 to 20, and over Chhattisgarh, East Madhya Pradesh and Jharkhand between September 20 and 22.

Light to moderate isolated/scattered rainfall activity is likely over rest parts of the country during most days of the week.

Increase in rainfall activity is forecast along the Konkan region with isolated heavy falls towards the second half of the week.

The monsoon trough is very likely to be active and near normal/south of its position during most days of the week between September 23 and 29, the IMD said.