The country, as a whole, received excess rainfall in the first three week of January - 31.2 mm as against normal 9.7 mm, marking a departure of a whopping 222 per cent, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday.

During the same time, i.e., the first three week of January, east and northeast India received 12.7 mm against 9.3 mm (36 per cent departure) northwest India received 60.1 mm against normal of 17.4 mm (245 per cent), central India received 21.3 mm rainfall as against the normal of 4.5 mm (373 per cent departure) while the south Peninsula received 18.2 mm against 6.8 mm (168 per cent departure), the IMD said.