India monsoon trims June deficit after July near-normal rain

India's monsoon rainfall for July came in 1% above the long-period average, the India Meteorological Department said, trimming the season's overall deficit to 13% after a 35% shortfall in June.

The country received 283.3 mm of rain in July, against a normal of 280.5 mm. The improvement was driven by a record 24 low-pressure systems, the most for any July since 2017, IMD Director-General M Mohapatra told reporters.

The distribution was uneven. Sixteen states covering 36% of the country's area reported deficient rainfall, including five in the north-east where absolute totals are usually high. The east and north-east subdivision logged a 30% shortfall at 529.3 mm, against 752.5 mm considered normal. The south peninsula recorded 23% below normal at 280.1 mm, its first below-normal July in eight years, Mohapatra said.