India Fears "Drought"
VANCOUVER - NEW DELHI - Aug 4/12 - SNS -- The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has finally backed off its forecast of a near normal monsoon, now agreeing with earlier forecasts from Japan and other meteorologists that this year's rainfall would be at least 15% below normal.
Since the monsoon started in June, average precipitation levels have been 20% below normal. In its forecast for August and September, the IMD expects a 10% shortfall because of the expected emergence of El Nino, which is associated with drier weather in India.
If realized, this will be driest monsoon since 2009, when rains were 22% below their long term average. The slow start to the monsoon and uneven progress has already resulted in what seems certain to be an unrecoverable decline in land in pulses and other crops.
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