The southwest monsoon in India has covered the entire country six days ahead of schedule, according to the India Meteorological Department. This is only the third time in the past 24 years that the monsoon has covered the entire country in the first week of July. Rainfall activity is expected to pick up after 5 July, following a rain deficiency of 10% in June. The monsoon is critical for India's economy, as almost half of the farmed area and 47% of the population depend on agriculture.