AA Edit | Monsoon: IMD Misses Mark; amid El Nino Fears On Crops

After accounting for the IMD’s initial margin of error of four days, the monsoon’s onset was effectively delayed by about five days, strengthening prospects of deficient rainfall and raising fresh concerns among farmers preparing for the crucial kharif sowing season

Update: 2026-06-05 17:54 GMT

This is the second time that the IMD has failed to forecast the arrival of the monsoon accurately since it began the practice 21 years ago. When the IMD’s forecast on the monsoon onset date was off by two days in 2015, the country received 15 per cent deficient rainfall and suffered a drought. This year too, the IMD has predicted rainfall that is 10 per cent below normal. — File Photo