2016 monsoon rains seen above average: Skymet

Annual monsoon rains are likely to be 105 per cent above a long-term average, the country's only private weather forecaster said on Monday, snapping two straight years of drought that cut farm output and hit farmers' income.

The July-September monsoon delivers nearly 70 per cent of annual rains and waters half of India's farmlands that lack irrigation facilities.

There is a 35 per cent probability of above average rainfall, Skymet said in a statement.

Good monsoon rains play a key role in boosting demand for an array of consumer goods. Agriculture accounts for about 14 per cent of country's $2 trillion economy, Asia's third-biggest, but supports two-thirds of its 1.25 billion population.

State-run India Meteorological Department is soon expected to issue its forecast for this year's monsoon rains.