India's monsoon rains hit five-year low due to El Nino

MUMBAI: India's monsoon rainfall this year was its lowest since 2018 as the El Nino weather pattern made August the driest in more than a century, the state-run weather department has announced.

The monsoon, which is vital for India's US$3 trillion economy, brings nearly 70% of the rain the country needs to water crops and replenish reservoirs and aquifers.