In India, it is heading towards the driest August in more than 100 years, and the summer crops are in danger: weather department officials. India is experiencing its driest August in over a century, partially due to the El Niño weather pattern causing reduced rainfall in large regions. Two weather department officials shared this information with Reuters on Friday. Rainfall in August is expected to be the lowest since records began in 1901. This could potentially damage crops sown during the summer months, from rice to soybeans, leading to possible price hikes and exacerbating overall food inflation, which has been on the rise since January 2020.
The monsoon, vital for India's $3 trillion economy, provides nearly 70% of the rainfall needed to irrigate fields and replenish reservoirs in the country. A senior official from the India Meteorological Department (IMD), speaking on the condition of anonymity, said, 'As we had anticipated, the monsoon is not reviving. We are likely to see a significant deficit in southern, western, and central parts of the country for the rest of this month.' He added that based on the rainfall received so far and the expected rainfall for the remaining days of the month, India is likely to receive less than 180 mm (7 inches) of rainfall on average this month.
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