Jaipur, July 9 -- Rajasthan has experienced an exceptional start to the monsoon season, recording 111.34% above-normal rainfall between June 1 and July 8. According to official data, the state received 174.46 mm of rain during this period - 84.76% more than the rainfall recorded in the corresponding period last year. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday issued forecast warning of heavy to very heavy rainfall in eastern Rajasthan starting from July 10. The wet spell is expected to cover western Rajasthan from July 12 onwards. Alerts have been issued for multiple divisions, including Kota, Bharatpur, Jaipur, Ajmer, and Udaipur, it said. Rainfall data stated that between June 1 and July 8, Rajasthan received an abnormal 174.46 mm of rainfall - 111.34% more than the normal average of 82.55 mm. During the same period in 2024, the state recorded 94.53mm of rainfall, the official data states. On Tuesday, Jaipur recorded a maximum temperature of 34.8degC and a minimum of 27.1degC. The highest temperature in the state was recorded in Sriganganagar at 38.9degC, followed by Bikaner at 38.6degC. Meanwhile, the IMD has predicted that monsoon will intensify in Rajasthan from July 10. "A low-pressure area is currently situated over West Bengal and is expected to gradually move in a west-northwest direction over the next two-three days. The monsoon trough line is presently passing through Punjab and Haryana," it said. "Heavy rainfall activity is likely to intensify in eastern Rajasthan from July 10 and in western Rajasthan from July 12. On July 10, isolated heavy showers are expected in Kota and Bharatpur divisions. Between July 11 and 12, parts of Kota, Bharatpur, Jaipur, Ajmer, and Udaipur divisions may witness heavy to very heavy rainfall," it further stated. The weather department stated that the weather in Jodhpur division is expected to remain mostly dry for the next three-four days, while light to moderate showers may occur at isolated places in Bikaner division. Rain activity in western Rajasthan is also likely to pick up from July 12. According to officials, the rainfall has helped recharge water bodies and soil moisture levels across the state, creating favourable conditions for agriculture. However, the weather department has also urged caution in low-lying and flood-prone areas. Of the 692 dams in the state, 68 are completely filled, 404 are partially filled, and 220 remain empty. Of the total storage capacity of 12,934.75 million cubic metres (MCM) across Rajasthan's dams, the current water level stands at 7,502.76 MCM (58%). During the same period last year, it was 4,503.20 MCM (34.81%). Due to the surplus rain giving a major boost to the Kharif cropping season, a total of 9,736 hectares were sown as of July 4 - nearly three times higher than the 3,329 hectares sown by this time last year. "This marks significant progress toward the season's total sowing target of 16,539.550 acres. During the same period in 2024, only 3,329.25 acres had been sown, highlighting a more than twofold increase this year," according to government data. Kisan Mahapanchayat president Ram Pal Jat said, "A farmer is always prepared and ready to begin sowing Kharif crops such as millets and pulses after June 15. This time, the rains arrived early, which is favourable for the crops."...