India is expected to receive above-average rainfall in October, following above-normal precipitation in September, a senior weather department official said on Tuesday.

Above-average rainfall in October could damage summer-sown crops such as rice, cotton, soybeans, corn, and pulses, which are nearing harvest.

The country is likely to receive above-average rainfall of more than 115% of the 50-year average in October, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director-general of the India Meteorological Department (IMD), told a virtual news conference.

India received 15% above-average rainfall in September, raising the total monsoon surplus for June–September to 8%, he said.

The monsoon is the lifeblood of India’s nearly $4 trillion economy, delivering almost 70% of the rainfall needed to water farms and re

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