Monsoon rains 22 pct below average in past week

By Ratnajyoti Dutta

NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's monsoon rainfall was 22 percent below average in the week to Aug. 27, the weather office said on Thursday, recording a third straight week of deficit.

Although the monsoon weakened across the country last week, large areas of Assam were hit by floods triggered by heavy rains in the north east and in neighbouring Bangladesh, making thousands homeless.

The monsoon rains are vital for India's farm-dependent economy as over half of its farm lands lack irrigation. The rains determine output size for main summer-sown crops such as rice, corn, cane, soybean and cotton in the world's second populous country.

The monsoon is also the main determining factor for consumer spending in rural areas where around two-thirds of India's population of 1.2 billion live.

"There will be good rains in the interior parts of south India and adjoining areas of central India for next three to four days," said N. Chattopadhyay, Deputy Director General of the Indian Weather Office.

Rains in Andhra Pradesh and Marathwada would ease moisture stress and aid growth in cotton, pulses and sugarcane, he said.

Rainfalls were 25 percent below average the previous week, though sugarcane and rice-growing areas of north India were hit by floods caused by rainfall in the Himalayas.

(Editing by Raissa Kasolowsky)