Overall rains in excess, but unsteady distribution may play spoilsport

The welcome recovery in July and August notwithstanding, rainfall has not been uniformly spread across regions and time

On a cumulative basis, rains at the all-India level recorded a surplus for the third consecutive week as of August 28, at 2% above the normal or long period average.

The quantum of rain so far has been good at the overall level. Indeed, judging by just the quantum of rain, this could well be the best rainfall season in six years.

But this year is also a classic case of how a distortion in the distribution of rains - both temporal and spatial - can play spoilsport.

The quick catch-up in southwest monsoon this year has meant two opposite things - first,