India is experiencing its driest August in over 100 years due, in part, to the El Nino weather pattern, according to sources. Weather officials have warned the lack of rainfall could damage yields of summer crops such as rice and soybeans, leading to higher prices and inflation, which is already at its highest level since January 2020.
IMD Predicts Normal Monsoon in 2021 With Average Rains
The monsoon, the lifeline of the country s $2.9 trillion economy, delivers nearly 70% of rains that India needs to water farms.
A man pedals his cycle rickshaw during monsoon rains in New Delhi, India August 31, 2016. Photo: Reuters/Cathal McNaughton/File Photo
Environment3 hours ago
New Delhi/Mumbai: India is likely to receive an average amount of rain in the 2021 monsoon, the state-run weather office said on Friday, raising expectations of higher farm and economic growth in Asia’s third-biggest economy, which is reeling from a surge in coronavirus cases.
Monsoon rainfall is expected to total 98% of the long-term average, M. Rajeevan, secretary at the Ministry of Earth Sciences, told a virtual news conference.