August witnessed the lowest rainfall in over a century in India, with a 36% reduction compared to the usual amount. Normally, August receives the second-highest rainfall of the monsoon months, averaging 25.4 cm after July's 28 cm.
Due to the El Nino phenomenon's strengthening and unfavorable conditions in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal, most of India experienced significant rainfall deficits in August. Notable exceptions were northeastern India, the Himalayan States, and parts of Tamil Nadu, as indicated by data from the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
El Nino, characterized by central Pacific warming, typically leads to inadequate monsoon rainfall in India. The last instances of such pronounced August deficits were recorded in 2005 (25% below normal) and 2009, which marked India's most severe drought in fifty years with a 24% shortfall in August rainfall.
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The August rainfall shortage contributed to an overall national deficit of 10%, with regional deficits of 17% in east and northeast India, 10% in central India, and 17% in southern India. For the final monsoon month, September, the IMD forecast predicts that rainfall is likely to fall within a 10% range of the typical 16.7 cm.
