Monsoon clouds entered the country from eastern Nepal on Sunday, eight days before the normal date, according to the Meteorological Forecasting Division of the Department of Hydrology and Meteorology.

“This year’s monsoon system has entered today into Province 1,” reads a special bulletin issued by the division on Sunday afternoon. “The monsoon has arrived in the country before the average date.” It will take a few days for the phenomenon to reach the remaining parts of the country.

Normally it takes one week for the monsoon clouds to spread all over the country but meteorologists say that there are several incidents leading to the early arrival of monsoon this year.

“Monsoon clouds entering the country from the Bay of Bengal have caused rainfall in most districts of Province 1,” said Prajina Shakya, a meteorologist. “Some places of the Madhesh Province and Bagmati Province have also been witnessing rainfall.”

The monsoon season in Nepal generally begins on June 13 and ends on September 23. Last year it started on June 11. A normal monsoon, supported by the timely arrival of rain, translates into favourable conditions for agricultural production, mainly of paddy, and is further linked with the country’s overall economic growth. However, the shortage of chemical fertilisers this year could offset any potential gains from the monsoon, economists have said.

The monsoon season, which delivers around 80 percent of the country’s total annual rainfall, generally lasts 105 days. But, in recent years, it has been taking more time to withdraw.

Meteorologists have forecast above-normal rains this monsoon.