India Monsoon Starts Almost 40% Short as El Niño Upends Weather

India's monsoon has begun with an unusually weak start, recording rainfall nearly 40% below normal levels. This lackluster precipitation is expected to persist, posing significant threats to industrial activity and crop production as the El Niño weather phenomenon takes hold. Meanwhile, satellite observations of sea surface height confirm that the 2026 El Niño event continued to strengthen during early June, further influencing global weather patterns and contributing to the current instability in India's seasonal rainfall.