Science & Tech
India Faces One Of Its Weakest Monsoons Since 1901
El Niño left eastern and northeastern India especially short of rain.
El Niño left eastern and northeastern India especially short of rain.
India’s monsoon ended weaker than expected, leaving farms, reservoirs and food prices under strain. The season had already been flagged as risky when forecasters warned that could cut rainfall, and the early months largely followed that warning. June was badly short, July briefly recovered, then August and September slipped back below normal. By the end, India had received 87.4% of average rainfall, one of its poorest monsoons in decades. The biggest losses hit east and northeast India, where dry spells can hit crops hardest and leave less water for the months ahead.
IMD said east and northeast India had their weakest since , underlining how uneven the rainfall failure was across the country. Reporting on the final tally also pointed to knock-on stress for , , and food prices as the country headed out of the season.
IMD’s season-end review said India received of rain, or 87.4% of the , making 2026 the fourth-lowest monsoon since 2001 and the 13th-lowest since 1901. The department also said the strengthening El Niño in the tropical Pacific was a major driver and could persist into early 2027.
The final monsoon month also came in below normal, leaving the season under sustained stress as withdrawal began. IMD figures show September rainfall below average, around 92% of the long-period average in the official season summary, confirming that the late-season recovery never fully arrived.
The recovery faded in August, when rainfall again dropped below normal. IMD data put August at about 84% of the long-period average, and the department warned that September would also likely stay weak as El Niño conditions continued to influence the monsoon.
Rainfall improved in July and moved close to normal, giving a short-lived reprieve after June’s steep shortfall. IMD figures show July around 101% of the long-period average, which temporarily eased concerns that the season would keep worsening in a straight line.
The monsoon started weak, with all-India rainfall far below normal in June. IMD data later showed June rainfall at about 65% of the , or roughly 35% below normal, setting an early deficit that put pressure on and .
The lowered its forecast for 2026 in late May, saying the outlook had weakened as conditions were expected to develop in the . The revision signaled that the season could end below normal even before the rains fully began.