India: Aug 20 likely to be wettest since 1901

• The monsoon has roared back in Aug 20 with excess rain of 26%, and is likely to be among the wettest since 1901, when the weather office started recording official data.
• Rainfall is already at a record in India’s mid-latitude states including Mahrashtra, Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, and Odisha. This region, which the weather office categorises as ‘central India’, has received an all-time high of 482.8 mm rainfall in Aug 20.
• The surge in rainfall, following a weak Jul 20, has raised hopes of a record harvest of summer-sown, or kharif, crops, although there are concerns about floods, particularly in Madhya Pradesh, which is an important area for oilseeds and pulses.
• Good monsoon rain has cheered farmers. This is expected to boost rural demand for consumer goods, cars, two-wheelers, fertilizers, tractors, gold, and several other products.
• From a shortage of 2% at the start of Aug 20, monsoon rainfall since 1 Jun 20 now stands at 10% above normal, spearheaded by the southwest monsoon remaining active in western India throughout Aug 20. Rains in north India were also normal, after a disastrous Jul 20 that saw the region suffer a 26% rain deficit.

External Link : https://economictimes.indiatimes.com/news/politics-and-nation/august-likely-to-be-wettest-since-1901/articleshow/77839413.cms