New Delhi: Monsoon rains, crucial for farm output in the world`s leading consumer of sugar, grains and cooking oils, have revived after being stalled by a cyclone last week, weather officials said on Monday.
Cyclone Phet near the Oman coast in the Arabian sea had halted the southwest monsoon`s advance toward the north of India for four days, soon after they had hit Kerala on May 31, a day ahead of schedule.
"Monsoon has revived," said a senior weather official who did not wish to be named.
The monsoon is expected to cover more areas of the southern Karnataka state, a big producer of cane and corn, from Monday.
"Conditions are favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon over some more parts of Karnataka," the weather office said in its latest forecast.
For the week ended on June 2, the monsoon rains were at 16.7 millimetres, down 11.2 percent from the normal weekly rainfall of 18.8 millimetres.
Bureau Report