Monsoon takes pause in August after July deluge, El Nino may further weaken rains - Rural Voice

Monsoon seems to have reversed gear in August, with sustained dry spell in many regions of the country. What's more worrying is that meteorologists in the US are saying there is a 66 percent chance of El Nino developing into a strong event. This means, El Nino's effects could be felt in India too, weakening the monsoon further. Overall, till now, the monsoon rains in India remain in the normal zone of +/-4 percent. But rains in August have been 29 percent lower.

The Indian Meteorological Department had forecast that El Nino will suppress rainfall in August. It had forecast that July rainfall would be on the "positive side of normal" or at most, 6 percent of what is usual for the month. However, a series of western disturbances and active monsoon conditions saw July receive nearly 13 percent more rain than what is typical for the month. After the torrential rains in July, the month of August - usually the second rainiest of the four monsoon months - saw below normal rains.  

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