NEW DELHI (Reuters) - India's crucial monsoon rains are expected to be above average in 2016, a senior official at the weather office told Reuters on Tuesday, easing fears over farm and economic growth after two straight droughts hit rural incomes and agricultural output.
Rains in 2016 would be 106 percent of the long-term average, said the official at India Meteorological Department, ahead of an official forecast due out later in the day.
The monsoon rains could be above average, as the El Nino weather pattern, which can lead to dry spells in South Asia, is gradually fading and giving way to La Nina, the official said.
(Reporting by Mayank Bhardwaj and Sankalp Phartiyal; Editing by Rajendra Jadhav and Douglas Busvine)