The southwest monsoon is in serious deficit territory, with cumulative all-India rainfall this season (June-September) till June 22 being 42.8 per cent below the normal average for this period. Significantly, this is even before El Niño’s impact is to really kick in. The deficit for now is being attributed mainly to weak monsoon winds in general. The monsoon arrived three days late over Kerala on June 4. After some initial progress, the onset pulse weakened, with stronger northwesterly dry winds suppressing the incoming monsoon currents and no active eastward-moving Madden-Julian Oscillation system carrying clouds and moisture. The monsoon, in fact, made no........

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