Monsoon sweeps north but brings less rain

Long-awaited monsoon rains arrived in India’s financial capital Mumbai on Tuesday, cooling weeks of blazing heat despite persistent fears of water shortages with total rainfall so far staying below the long-term average.

Hundreds of millions of people in India rely on the annual monsoon winds to bring vital rains that sustain agriculture and industry.

But climate change is making the country hotter and shifting weather patterns, and the presence of the El Nino weather phenomenon this year has brought warnings of lower rainfall.

As of Monday, India had received 60.6 millimetres (2.4 inches) of rainfall, 43 percent less than the normal amount for this point in the season, according to weather department figures.

But there was some relief for Mumbai on Tuesday when the first downpours finally swept in, delighting many of the city’s 22 million inhabitants even as some suburbs had to make do with light drizzle.

“The Southwest Monsoon has further advanced into remaining parts of central Arabian Sea, (and) some more parts of Maharashtra including Mumbai,” the weather department said.

Warnings of a potentially insufficient monsoon have raised alarm among farmers and policymakers.

Last week, authorities in Mumbai imposed restrictions on water use, cutting supplies to swimming pools and construction sites.

Some residents slept on beaches to gain respite from the sweltering night-time conditions, in a dense city where many live without air conditioning.

The monsoon is a colossal sea breeze that brings South Asia 70 to 80 percent of its annual rainfall between June and September.

Weather observers also indicated the possibility of moderate to heavy rainfall accompanied by thunderstorms in several parts of Delhi-NCR. However, conditions were expected to improve gradually, with dry weather likely to return by the evening.

It sweeps north over several weeks, providing rain for farmers to plant their crops -- a crucial lifeline for a sector that supports 45 percent of people in the world’s most populous country.

Agriculture Minister Shivraj Chouhan said this month that India would prepare contingency plans to help farmers endure potentially low rainfall linked to El Nino.

The naturally occurring climate phenomenon brings worldwide changes in winds, air pressure and rainfall patterns. In India and Southeast Asia, it typically causes drier conditions.

The last El Nino helped make 2023 and 2024 the two hottest years on record.

Agencies