Heavy late-September rain has pulled India’s monsoon back into the normal range after a weak season.

On September 26, India received 162 per cent more rain than normal, the wettest single day of the entire season, according to the India Meteorological Department. Four subdivisions recorded over 1,500 per cent above-normal rain, with west Uttar Pradesh at 3,003 per cent.

The downpour narrowed the season’s deficit to 12 per cent from 14 per cent at the end of August. September’s total rainfall so far stands at 152.6 mm, about 5 per cent below normal.

The rain came at a cost: 56 people died in rain and storm incidents in Uttar Pradesh between September 25 and 27. The IMD had predicted below-normal rainfall for September, but back-to-back low-pressure systems over the Bay of Bengal changed the picture.

Why it matters: the June-September monsoon waters most of India’s farmland, so a late recovery can still help winter crops that are planted from October.