Continuing the pattern of the preceding monsoon months, rainfall over the country as a whole during September 2026 is most likely to be below normal. India recorded a rainfall deficit of 13.8% during the monsoon season from June to August, with Punjab among the states that received below-normal rainfall during the period.India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director General Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that several parts of the country are likely to receive below-normal rainfall in September. “However, some areas of Northwest, Northeast, East, East-Central India and isolated areas of Southeast Peninsular India are likely to receive normal to above-normal rainfall,” he said.IMD has projected that the monthly average maximum and minimum temperatures in September are likely to remain above normal over most parts of the country.Below-normal rainfall can adversely affect agriculture, water resources, hydropower generation, ecosystem sustainability and drinking water availability, besides increasing the risk of heat stress in several regions.“Timely preparedness measures, including water conservation, efficient resource management and agricultural contingency planning by concerned agencies and stakeholders, can help mitigate these impacts,” IMD said in an advisory.From September 3 to 9, rainfall is likely to be normal to above normal over East India and adjoining areas of East-Central India. “It is likely to be below normal over the remaining parts of the country during the week. Overall, rainfall over the country as a whole is likely to be below normal during the week,” IMD said in a statement.According to the meteorological department’s assessment, a total of 741 districts were evaluated for monsoon rainfall distribution. Of these, 42% recorded below-normal rainfall, while 39% — covering more than one-third of the districts —received normal rainfall.In August, India received 213.3 mm of rainfall, the seventh-lowest total recorded since 2001, when IMD recorded 205.1 mm.One of the reasons cited by Mohapatra for the low rainfall in August was that, although the month witnessed long-lasting low-pressure systems and frequent Western Disturbances, the resulting rainfall was concentrated mainly over the Indo-Gangetic Plains.“The intense rainfall events during the month of August were largely concentrated over eastern, east-central and north-western India, except West Rajasthan and Punjab. These intense events were largely caused by monsoonal systems, such as low-pressure areas over eastern and east-central India, and by interactions between Western Disturbances and cyclonic circulations over northwest India,” the IMD chief said.