NEW DELHI: After a wet start to the season in June, the southwest monsoon stuttered in July. The month ended with a countrywide monsoon deficit of 10%, making it the driest July in five years, as most parts of northwest and central India received poor rains during the month.
Meanwhile, India Meteorological Department, the country’s official weather agency, updated its monsoon forecast for the second half of the season on Friday, which pointed to the possibility of heavy rains in September.
IMD said the second half of the monsoon season (August-September) is likely to see rainfall at 104% of the long period average (which means rains are expected to be 4% above normal). For August, the agency said rainfall could be
