India experienced its driest June in a decade and the fifth driest June since records began in 1901, with monsoon rainfall measuring 39.8% below the long-term average, according to data released by the weather department on Tuesday.

The shortfall in rainfall, resulting from the delayed progression of the annual monsoon, has hindered the planting of summer crops such as rice, corn, cotton, and soybeans.

It has also left sections of the northern plains abnormally hot, with peak temperatures surpassing 42 degrees Celsius (107.6 degrees Fahrenheit) in certain areas.

As per the weather department data, India recorded 99.5 mm of rainfall in June, compared with a normal level of 165.3 mm.

The shortfall occurred as the monsoon arrived in the southern state of Kerala three days later than usual and its progress across key western agricultural regions was halted for nearly two weeks.

The monsoon provides roughly 70% of the yearly rainfall that replenishes vital water reserves in the nearly $4-trillion economy, where nearly half of the agricultural land is without irrigation and about half of the population depends on farming for its livelihood.