El Niño impact on India monsoon rains
The gist
India's southwest monsoon ended 13% below the long-period average, the weakest since 2015.
The shortfall pushed the government to draw up its first rabi contingency plan.
How it unfolded
- Jun 18, 2026Nationwide monsoon rainfall was nearly 40% below normal, according to India Meteorological Department data.
- Jun 25, 2026Agriculture Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan said rainfall was 43% below normal so far and forecasts pointed to weak conditions persisting in July.
- Jul 2026The government banned exports of non-basmati white rice amid concerns about domestic supply and rising prices as an El Niño developed; basmati rice was not covered.
Key terms
- rabi
- Winter-sown crops in South Asia that are harvested in spring, complementary to kharif crops.
- kharif
- Monsoon-season crops in South Asia, sown and harvested from June to November and needing good rainfall.
- long-period average
- A 30-year average of a weather variable for a given time of year, such as a month or season.
Source: Wikipedia