Monsoon rains 23% below normal in week to July 27

Southwest monsoon was 23% below normal in the week ending July 27, a steep decline from the 7% above average rains received in the previous week, the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday. The rains were poor during last week over rice and cotton areas of south and western India. The weather office's overall forecast, made around a month ago, expected the rains to be slightly below normal for the entire June to September season. Last year, rainfall was 38% above normal in the week ended July 28, after a weak start in June, and ended the four-month season as normal. Widespread rain/thundershowers would occur over west coast and Andaman & Nicobar Islands up to 31st July, the IMD said . Fairly widespread rain/thundershowers would occur over northwest India, Bihar, subHimalayan West Bengal & Sikkim, northeastern states and Lakshadweep. Scattered rain/thundershowers would occur over remaining parts of the country, except extreme peninsular India. Heavy to very heavy rainfall would occur at a few places over Jammu & Kashmir, Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Uttar Pradesh, Bihar and subHimalayan West Bengal & Sikkim during the next 48 hours, the weather bureau said. Isolated heavy rainfall would occur over Assam & Meghalaya, Arunachal Pradesh, Konkan & Goa, coastal Karnataka, Kerala, Lakshadweep and Andaman & Nicobar Islands, it added. Fairly widespread rainfall would occur up to 2nd August over many parts of the country, except parts of northwest, east and peninsular India where it would be scattered.