-The Economic Times   The latest forecast of the Met office suggesting a weakening of the south-west monsoon during the second half of the monsoon season is not cause for panic. It is the distribution of rainfall across space and time rather than the aggregate percentages that matter for the farm sector. The good news is that both the spatial and temporal distribution of rainfall has been satisfactory so far. A good reservoir...

Nearly one-third of the 597 districts received deficient rains this monsoon season, which otherwise saw excess to normal falls across the country after a drought year. Out of 597 meteorological districts for which data are available, 173 districts (29 per cent) received deficient rains, while 11 got scanty falls this season, said the End of Monsoon Season report of the weather office. On the brighter side, 240 districts (40 per cent) received...

Precipitation is likely to be 98 per cent of long-period average  Rainfall is likely to be lower because of a weak El Nino condition A weak La Nina may developing by July or August The India Meteorological Department on Friday issued its first-stage, long-range forecast for the Southwest Monsoon. It is likely to be “normal,” with a precipitation of 98 per cent of the long-period average (LPA), with a model error of plus...

  KEY TRENDS  • Research studies indicate more erratic and intense monsoon rains/unseasonal rains and hailstorm, increasing risk of droughts and floods and rise in temperature including increased frequency of warm days. This leads to projected average reduction of yield by 6 percent in wheat, 4-6 percent in rice, 18 percent in maize, 2.5 percent in sorghum, 2 percent in mustard and 2.5 percent in potato. The crop yield were projected more...