India monsoon begins poorly with June rain 40% below average
Monsoon season in India is off to a rough start this year, with June seeing 40% less rain than usual, just 99.5mm instead of the typical 165.4mm.
This is one of the driest Junes in recent years, breaking a two-year streak of good rains and putting pressure on July to make up for it, especially for farmers and water supplies.
IMD warns 18.6% rainfall deficit
To balance out the shortfall, July would need way more rain than normal, about 123.5% of its average.
But the IMD says we will likely get less than usual again, which means an overall gap of roughly 18.6% for June and July together.
Reservoirs down 25% versus last year
Experts point to El Nino messing with weather patterns and a neutral Indian Ocean Dipole offering no help.
Reservoirs are already down by 25% compared to last year, raising concerns about water for crops and daily use if things do not improve soon.