India to receive below-average monsoon rains in next two weeks

India is likely to get below-average rainfall in the next two weeks with a large deficit in the soybean and cotton growing central and western regions, a weather department official said on Thursday, raising concerns over output of summer-sown crops. "Weather model is showing deficiency in rainfall over central and western India in next two weeks," said an official with the India Meteorological Department (IMD), who declined to be named as he was not authorized to speak with media.

"The north-east and foothills of Himalaya could get good rainfall," he said.