India received 759.4 mm of rainfall against a normal seasonal average of 868.6 mm during the June-September 2026 southwest monsoon, making it the fourth-lowest monsoon since 2001 and the 13th-lowest since 1901, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

The season ended at about 87 per cent of the long-period average, leaving a deficit of nearly 13 per cent. Rainfall was 35.4 per cent below normal in June, 1 per cent above normal in July, 16.3 per cent below normal in August and 7.6 per cent below normal in September, Mint reported.

The Northeast recorded its driest monsoon in 125 years, with just 1,017.1 mm of rainfall, officials said. All three meteorological subdivisions in the region were deficient in every monsoon month.

The IMD has forecast below-normal rainfall for October across most parts of India. Kharif sowing stood at 110.39 million hectares as of September 18, about 1.5 million hectares lower than last year, according to agriculture ministry data cited by Mint. Rice acreage fell 3.7 per cent year-on-year.