Monsoon 24% above average in August, heavy rain to continue, says IMD

Of the 36 meteorological subdivisions in India, monsoon rains have been either average or above average in 32 so far this year

Monsoon rains, which picked up pace in August, are likely to be heavy for the rest of the month, the chief of the state-run India Meteorological Department (IMD) said, potentially benefiting summer crops such as rice, corn and cotton.

After a patchy spell in the last two weeks of July, India received 24 per cent above average rains so far in August, and the trend is likely to continue at least through this month, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general of the IMD, told Reuters.

“There’s no doubt that the quantity of rains has been excellent, but the other important feature of this year's