Rainfall below average in all four zones

India received more than 81 cm of rainfall in the four-month monsoon season that ended on Sunday,slightly more than the 92 per cent of average rainfall that is expected during this time.

This is in accordance with the forecast issued by the Met department in July in which it had predicted 96 per cent rainfall with error margin of four per cent. Initial data from the Indian Meteorological Department shows that the country as a whole received 816.3 mm rainfall during these four months,as against the normal of 883 mm.