Driest monsoon in three decades: IMD

India saw the driest monsoon in three decades as the season drew to a close with the country receiving just over three quarters of normal rains this year.

India saw the driest monsoon in three decades as the season drew to a close with the country receiving just over three quarters of normal rains this year.

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"At 23 per cent deficiency, this year's monsoon was the driest since 1974 when the country had received 23.4 per cent deficient rainfall," India Meteorological Department Director General Ajit Tyagi told PTI in New Delhi.

The southwest monsoon season begins on June one when the rainfall system reaches the coast of Kerala and continues till September 30.

However, rains are not gone altogether as weatherman has forecast a spell wet weather over parts of central and northwest India next week.

The interaction between a low pressure area forming over Gujarat and a passing extra-tropical system is expected to bring rains to central and northwest India for a couple of days from October five.

This season saw a delay in onset of monsoon over the entire country but good rains in July-August and a couple of wet spells in September brought cheer to farmers who were a worried lot when the rainfall had almost disappeared for the entire June, said Tyagi summing up the season.

Of the 36 meteorological sub-divisions, 13 got normal to excess rains while in 23 monsoon was deficient.