Photo: AFPNew Delhi: India’s monsoon, which irrigates more than half of the country’s farmland, is likely to be below an earlier forecast of normal showers, Skymet Weather Services Pvt. “The southwest monsoon is likely to go into a prolonged weak phase during August,” Skymet said on Wednesday. Below-NormalRain is seen at 88% of the long-term average in August, compared with the earlier forecast of 96%. Monsoon rainfall has been about 6% below normal so far since 1 June, according to the India Meteorological Department. “You have to look at the spread across the country.”Skymet put the chance of below-normal monsoon showers at 60 percent and predicted a 15% possibility of a normal rainy season.

Source: Mint August 01, 2018 12:22 UTC