(Adds details)
BENGALURU, April 10 (Reuters) - India is likely to get
"below normal" monsoon rains in 2023 with an increasing
likelihood of El-Nino, which typically brings dry weather to
Asia, private weather forecasting agency Skymet said on Monday.
"Likelihood of El Nino is increasing and its probability to
become a dominant category during the monsoon is growing large.
El Nino return may presage a weaker monsoon," Jatin Singh,
managing director, Skymet said in a statement.
Monsoon rains in India are expected to be 94% of the
long-term average, said Skymet, retaining its previous view of
sub-par monsoon.
New Delhi defines average, or normal, rainfall as between
96% and 104% of a 50-year average of 88 centimetres (35
inches)for the four-month season beginning June.
The state-run India Meteorological Department is expected to
announce its annual monsoon forecast soon.
Nearly half of India's farmland, which has no irrigation
cover, depends on annual June-September rains to grow crops such
as rice, corn, cane, cotton and soybeans.
Skymet expects northern and central parts of the country to
be at risk of being rain deficit.
Punjab, Haryana, Rajasthan and Uttar Pradesh, known as
the agriculture bowl of North India, are likely to observe less
than normal rains during the 2nd half of the season, the weather
forecaster said.
Meanwhile, unseasonal rains and hailstorms have damaged
ripening, winter-planted crops such as wheat in India's fertile
northern, central and western plains, exposing thousands of
farmers to losses and raising the risk of further food price
inflation.
(Reporting by Nallur Sethuraman in Bengaluru; Editing by Savio
D'Souza and Nivedita Bhattacharjee)
Messaging: nallur.sethuraman.thomsonreuters.com@reuters.net))
Disclaimer: The views expressed in this article are those of the author and may not reflect those of Kitco Metals Inc. The author has made every effort to ensure accuracy of information provided; however, neither Kitco Metals Inc. nor the author can guarantee such accuracy. This article is strictly for informational purposes only. It is not a solicitation to make any exchange in commodities, securities or other financial instruments. Kitco Metals Inc. and the author of this article do not accept culpability for losses and/ or damages arising from the use of this publication.