Below-normal rains expected in India this Monsoon season

The country will this year likely see below-average monsoon rains for the first time in three years. (Image generated using AI)

India is likely to record below-normal rains this Monsoon season. The India Meterological Department (IMD) predicted the rainfall in India to be 92 per cent of the long-period average.

The country will likely see below-average monsoon rains for the first time in three years in 2026, according to a Reuters report, raising concerns over farm output, growth and overall inflation even as a war rages in West Asia.

The ‌monsoon typically arrives over Kerala around June 1 and retreats by mid-September.

The IMD defines normal rainfall as between 96 per cent ​and 104 per cent of ⁠a 50-year average of 87 cm (35 inches) for ‌the ⁠four-month season.