New Delhi, June 30 -- India is likely to receive below-normal rainfall in July, at less than 94% of the long-period average (LPA), according to the India Meteorological Department's (IMD) latest monthly outlook.

The forecast follows India's driest June in more than a decade, and the fifth-driest since records began in 1901, with south-west monsoon rainfall 39.8% below the LPA. The country received 99.5mm of rainfall during the month, compared with the normal of 165.3mm.

The IMD on 29 May revised its south-west monsoon forecast for 2026 to 90% of the LPA, down from its earlier estimate of 92%, due to El Niño conditions. The LPA for the June-September season, based on the 1971-2020 climatological record, is 87cm. The country saw belo...