El Nino impact: India sees lowest monsoon rainfall in over a decade

India recorded its lowest monsoon rainfall in more than a decade during the June-September season, as the El Nino weather pattern weakened rainfall, news agency Reuters reported.  The country received 12.6 per cent less rainfall than the long-period average during the four-month monsoon season. The rainfall deficit makes this the weakest monsoon in India in more than a decade, with El Nino contributing to the below-average precipitation. According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the country received 15 per cent less rainfall than normal between June 1 and September 13. Southern peninsular India recorded the biggest deficit at 28 per cent, followed by East and Northeast India, where rainfall was 25 per cent below normal.

 

The southwest monsoon began on a weak note this year, with June rainfall 36.5 per cent below normal. The poor start affected kharif crop sowing, with the area under cultivation nearly 21 per cent lower at the end of June than during the same period last year.

 

Rainfall improved in July and August, reducing the overall deficit. In July, rainfall was 1 per cent above normal on an all-India basis.

 

However, extended dry spells in some regions continued to weigh on the overall rainfall performance. The cumulative deficit remained close to 15 per cent, while the shortfall varied across regions, ranging from zero to 35 per cent.