North-east Monsoon

A stronger El Niño could worsen dry conditions across northern India, while a positive Indian Ocean Dipole and cyclonic activity may offer limited rainfall relief to the southern peninsula

The IMD says the southwest monsoon has withdrawn from India, while northeast monsoon rains have begun in parts of the South. This year's southwest monsoon rainfall was 12.6% below normal.

The IMD expects the northeast monsoon to reach southern India in the next 2-3 days, bringing a prolonged wet spell and heavy rainfall to several states from October 15 to 18.

IMD weather update: IMD issued an 'orange' alert for today, for heavy rainfall in Himachal Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh, Madhya Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Nagaland, Manipur, Mizoram, Tripura, Assam, Meghalaya

Halfway through the rainfall season, 36 per cent of India's districts-267 out of 742-are experiencing deficient or severely deficient rainfall

Here's a lowdown on the process of determining drought as India braces for the southwest monsoon after four surplus-rainfall years

The IMD said that intense rainfall spells will continue over North-East India, sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim during the next five days

Rainfall to be confined to the southern region, including Tamil Nadu, Andhra Pradesh, Kerala, Karnataka