India rain forecast: IMD forecasts below-average monsoon rains for 2026 amid El Nino concerns
“Although El Nino conditions are associated with a weak monsoon, two other factors such as the positive Indian Ocean dipole in the second half of the monsoon and the prevailing snow cover in Eurasia may ‘counter’ the effects of El Nino,” the IMD said. | Photo Credit: Getty Images/iStockphoto
India is likely to see below-average monsoon rains in 2026, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday, April 13, 2026, raising concerns about farm production and growth in the country while announcing its long-term forecast for the southwest monsoon season, which runs from June to September.
“Monsoon rainfall from June to September will be ‘below normal’ and is likely to be 92% of the Long Term Average,” Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) Secretary M. Ravichandran said in a press conference on Monday, April 13, 2026.
It was published – 13 April 2026 17:44 IST
