{
  "id": 923050,
  "title": "Weather Bee: Dry second week of August erased monsoon gains from the first week",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/08/15/weather-bee-dry-second-week-of-august-erased-monsoon-gains-from-the",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-08-15T00:31:04.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Hindustan Times",
    "slug": "hindustan-times",
    "url": "https://www.hindustantimes.com/india-news/weather-bee-dry-second-week-of-august-erased-monsoon-gains-from-the-first-week-101786730151535.html"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "The second week of August has erased the monsoon gains from the first week, according to the latest report from India Meteorological Department (IMD). Despite a rainy start to August, a dry spell pushed the monsoon's cumulative deficit back to the level seen on July 31. The first week of the month brought a decline in the cumulative deficit, with India's deficit reaching 9%, the lowest since June 5. However, the modest 1.6% surplus in August did not offset the impact of the dry spell. The second week's deficits have resulted in a 10.5% monsoon deficit, returning the overall deficit to 10.5%, equal to the level recorded on July 31. Despite this, the area under \"deficient\" or \"large deficient\" categories remains relatively low, with only marginal increases in both categories. Geographical patterns have also shifted, with some states like Kerala, Tamil Nadu, Jharkhand, Assam, and Haryana experiencing a decrease in deficient areas, while others like Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Chhattisgarh, and Maharashtra have seen an increase. The final impact of El Niño, which has been affecting monsoon patterns, will only be known on September 30.",
  "summary": "India monsoon: Dry second week of August erased gains from the first week, pushing the cumulative rainfall deficit back to 10.5%, IMD data shows.",
  "key_points": [
    "Second week of August erased monsoon gains from first week",
    "India's monsoon deficit reached 10.5%, matching July 31 level",
    "Monsoon deficit unchanged despite 1.6% surplus in August"
  ],
  "editors_take": "The reversal of monsoon gains by a dry second week of August means that India's overall monsoon deficit has returned to its previous level, offsetting earlier progress.",
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}