India’s 2026 southwest monsoon ended 12.6 per cent below normal, the weakest season since 2015, the India Meteorological Department said. The country received 759.4 mm of rain against the normal 868.6 mm.

East and Northeast India recorded their driest monsoon since 1901. The southern peninsula finished about 24.4 per cent below normal. Karnataka’s 35 per cent deficit was its worst in several decades.

Of 741 districts, 282 ended the season with deficient rainfall. The seasonal deficit was the fourth lowest since 2001.

Water storage is now a worry. The 178 major reservoirs hold about 70 per cent of their capacity, the lowest for this time of year in a decade. A year ago, storage was 79 per cent.

The IMD has forecast below-normal October rainfall too. Experts blame a strengthening El Nino, which could peak as a strong to very strong event by early 2027. A weak monsoon can cut farm output and raise food prices.