Climate crisis: India braces for unusual rain, rising mercury

India is likely to receive above-average rainfall in October after unusually high volumes for the past three months, a senior weather department official said on Tuesday, which could damage summer-sown crops ready for harvesting.

October's rainfall is projected at more than 115 percent of the 50-year average, said Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director-general of the India Meteorological Department (IMD).

Farmers have begun harvesting summer-sown crops such as rice, cotton, soybeans, corn, and pulses. Rainfall during this period could disrupt the harvesting and damage the crops.

Even in September above-average rainfall, arising from a delayed monsoon withdrawal, damaged some summer-sown crops in certain regions of India.

India received 11.6 percent more rainfall than average in September, following 9 percent and 15.3 percent above-average rainfall in July and August respectively, the IMD data showed.

"The weather department is predicting heavy rain in the first half of October, when most farmers harvest their crops. This has farmers worried," said a Mumbai-based dealer with a global trade house.

However, the rains in October may also enhance soil moisture, benefiting the planting of winter-sown crops such as wheat, rapeseed, and chickpea.

The withdrawal of the monsoon started nearly a week later than usual this year, but it is likely to fully withdraw from the country around mid-October, Mohapatra said.

India's annual June-September monsoon provides almost 70 percent of the rain it needs to water farms and replenish reservoirs and aquifers and is the lifeblood of a nearly $3.5 trillion economy. Without irrigation, nearly half of Indian farmland depends on the rains that usually run from June to September.

In October, maximum and minimum temperatures in most parts of the country are likely to be above normal, Mohapatra said.