New Delhi, July 29 -- After a weak start last month, the monsoon has made up ground in July, narrowing the seasonal deficit. Planting of kharif crops has improved as well, with the year-on-year gap in sowing narrowing to less than 5%.

However, intense rain in parts of India has led to massive loss of life and property. Besides, a strengthening El Niño in the Pacific Ocean, forecast to be the strongest in history, means India's weather troubles are far from over. In fact, drier spells may lie just ahead. Mint explains.

The June-September southwest monsoon, which provides more than 75% of India's annual rainfall, has bounced back after a poor start, though the recovery has been far from uniform. In June, the rainfall deficit was 40% ...