IMD and Skymet Forecast Weaker 2026 Monsoon Amid El Niño Concerns
3 hours agoGeneric
28LENS
2 SourcesIndia
TBNthebalanced.news

IMD and Skymet Forecast Weaker 2026 Monsoon Amid El Niño Concerns

India's 2026 monsoon forecasts from the India Meteorological Department (IMD) and private agency Skymet predict a weaker season, estimating rainfall at around 92-94% of the long-period average, influenced by an emerging El Niño. Differences in forecasts arise from varying models and data inputs. Concerns over reduced rainfall have led farmers, especially in southern regions, to consider drought-resistant crops like finger millet, despite higher costs, as they adapt to potential impacts on agriculture and water resources.

Political Bias
0%100%0%
Sentiment
50%
AI analysis of 2 sources · Published under editorial oversight by The Balanced News
Analysed 11 May 2026· How this analysis is produced· Editorial standards· Corrections

AI Analysis

Political bias across 2 sources
● Left 0%● Center 100%● Right 0%

The article group presents perspectives from both government (IMD) and private forecasters (Skymet), along with viewpoints from farmers and agricultural experts. Coverage focuses on scientific forecasting differences and practical agricultural responses without favoring any political stance, maintaining a neutral presentation of the monsoon outlook and its implications.

Sentiment — Neutral (50/100)

The overall tone is cautiously concerned, reflecting uncertainty about the upcoming monsoon's strength and its potential effects on farming. While forecasts indicate a weaker season, the coverage balances scientific explanation with farmers' adaptive strategies, resulting in a mixed sentiment that combines caution with pragmatic responses.

How 2 sources covered this story

Each source's own headline, political lean, and sentiment — so you can see framing differences at a glance.

SourceTheir headlineBiasSentiment
thetelegraphEl Niño threat looms over India, pushes farmers towards drought-resistant cropsCenterNeutral
firstpostWhy IMD and Skymet's monsoon forecasts don't always alignCenterNeutral

Coverage timeline

firstpost broke this story on 10 May, 06:10 am. Other outlets followed.

  1. 1
    firstpost10 May, 06:10 am
    Why IMD and Skymet's monsoon forecasts don't always align
  2. 2
    thetelegraph11 May, 01:54 am
    El Niño threat looms over India, pushes farmers towards drought-resistant crops

Lens Score breakdown

28/100
Public interest0/100
Coverage gap100%

Well-covered story — coverage matches public importance.

Who's involved

Institutions and figures named across source coverage.

Government
Indian Council of Agricultural ResearchIndia Meteorological Department
Corporate
Skymet Weather

Story context

Category
Generic
Location
India
Sources analysed
2
Last analysed
11 May 2026
Key entities
India Meteorological DepartmentMonsoonEl NiñoIndiaClimate variability and changeIndian Institute of Tropical MeteorologyMeteorologistEl Niño–Southern OscillationConvergence zonePropertyAtmospheric scienceMadden–Julian oscillation