Monsoon rains seen below normal this year, says Skymet

'We are looking at 15% chance for drought and there is no chance of excess rainfall'

Monsoon rains in India are expected to be below normal this year, the country's only private weather forecasting agency said on Wednesday, dampening prospects of higher farm and economic growth in the $2.6 trillion economy.

"The Pacific Ocean has become strongly warmer than average. The model projections call for 80 per cent chance of El Nino during March-May, dropping to 60 per cent for June to August," Jatin Singh, managing director of Skymet, told reporters.

"This means, it is going to be a devolving El Nino year, though retaining threshold values all through the season. Thus, monsoon 2019 is likely