20% monsoon deficit adds to India's sweltering heatwave troubles

India's monsoon has delivered 20 per cent less rain than normal this season, according to the weather department. This shortfall raises concerns for the country's critical agricultural sector, which relies heavily on monsoon rains.

News agency Reuters reported that as per the Indian Meteorological Department, India has received 20 per cent less rainfall than normal since June 1. Almost all regions except for a few southern states have seen shortfalls and some northwestern states experiencing heat waves, the report said.

"The monsoon's progress is stalled. It has weakened. But when it revives and becomes active, it can erase the rain deficit in a short burst," an IMD official told Reuters.


Typically, the rains start in the south around June 1 and spread nationwide by July 8, supporting the planting of crops like rice, cotton, soybeans, and sugarcane. The deficit could impact crop yields and economic growth in Asia's third-largest economy.

India's monsoon season has delivered 29 per cent less rainfall to the central region, which is crucial for soybean, cotton, sugarcane, and pulses, according to recent data.

Conversely, the southern region, key for paddy, saw 17 per cent more rainfall due to an early monsoon onset. The northeast received 20 per cent less rain, while the northwest experienced a staggering 68 per cent deficit.

Monsoons are vital for India's nearly $3.5-trillion economy, providing 70 per cent of the rain needed to irrigate farms and replenish reservoirs and aquifers.

Without irrigation, almost half of the farmland in India, the world's second-largest producer of rice, wheat, and sugar, relies heavily on the annual monsoon rains, which typically last until September.

The official mentioned that heat wave conditions are expected to persist in northern states for several more days, with temperatures likely to decrease starting from the weekend. According to IMD data, maximum temperatures in India's northern states are currently between 42 and 47.6 degrees Celsius, which is 4-9 degrees Celsius higher than normal.