New Delhi, Aug. 1 -- The monsoon in India appears at risk, with the India Meteorological Department predicting "below-normal rainfall" during the second half of the Southwest Monsoon season (August-September) 2026.

"During this period, below-normal rainfall is very likely over many parts of the country except some parts of the Peninsular India, Central India, northern parts of northwest India and East and Northeast India where normal to above-normal rainfall is likely," the weather department said in its latest forecast.

The IMD mentioned in its August forecast that moderate El Niño conditions currently prevail over the "equatorial Pacific Ocean, with sea surface temperature (SST) anomalies remaining above normal across the central...