LUCKNOW, July 13 -- With rainfall activity declining across Uttar Pradesh since Saturday, the state's monsoon rain deficit has begun widening again. For the first time since the monsoon set in on June 30, the deficit increased by one percentage point to 17% on Sunday, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The IMD expects the monsoon current to weaken further over the next few days, which could widen the rainfall deficit and push up temperatures, a weatherman said on Sunday. Between 8.30 am on Saturday and 8.30 am on Sunday, 40 of Uttar Pradesh's 75 districts received no rainfall. The state recorded an average of 7.5 mm, with East UP receiving 11.7 mm and West UP just 1.4 mm. Bansgaon in Gorakhpur recorded the highest rainfall at 168 mm during the 24-hour period, followed by Mahsi (Bahraich) at 129 mm, Tanda (Ambedkar Nagar) at 125 mm, Mukhlispur (Sant Kabir Nagar) at 109.6 mm, Mankapur (Gonda) at 91 mm and Nighasan (Lakhimpur Kheri) at 75.4 mm. Since June 1, Uttar Pradesh has received 158.8 mm of rainfall against the normal 190.9 mm, leaving it with a 17% deficit. While West UP has recorded a 16% surplus, receiving 188.3 mm against the normal 162 mm, East UP continues to face a 35% shortfall, having received 138.2 mm against the normal 211.4 mm. Six districts in West UP fall under the 'large excess' rainfall category (60% or more above normal): Meerut (194%), Muzaffarnagar (191%), Etah (114%), Sambhal (113%), Hathras (83%) and Firozabad (64%). Another eight districts in West UP-Agra (52%), Auraiya (51%), Bijnor (46%), Bulandshahr (41%), Etawah (40%), Baghpat (33%), Badaun (30%) and Lalitpur (24%)-have recorded 'excess' rainfall (20% to 59% above normal). As many as 23 districts reported normal rainfall (19% surplus to 19% deficit), including Ballia, Bahraich, Balrampur, Banda, Barabanki, Chitrakoot, Farrukhabad, Gonda, Hardoi, Kannauj, Kanpur City, Lakhimpur Kheri, Mirzapur, Sultanpur, Bareilly, Hamirpur, Hapur, Jalaun, Kasganj, Mahoba, Mathura, Moradabad, Rampur and Shahjahanpur. The remaining districts continue to face rainfall shortages, with 28 recording below-normal rainfall (20% to 59% deficit) and 10 reporting large deficient rainfall (60% to 99% deficit). Explaining the decline in rainfall activity, Atul Kumar Singh, senior scientist at the Regional Meteorological Centre, Lucknow, said a depression that formed over the Bay of Bengal weakened into a well-marked low-pressure area after reaching southwestern Uttar Pradesh before moving towards eastern Uttar Pradesh. htc...