New Delhi, June 4 -- A brief summer spike in air-conditioner sales has fizzled out by May as unseasonal rainfall and early monsoon dented demand for cooling products, disrupting what is typically a peak season for the category. The sudden weather shift has left manufacturers and retailers grappling with excess inventories and weaker-than-expected sales of categories like air conditioner, refrigerator and beverages. According to experts, sales in April-May fell 10-15% year-on-year, reversing early-season optimism driven by forecasts of a harsh summer. With the India Meteorological Department (IMD) now predicting a wetter June, companies are recalibrating expectations for the first half of FY26. "This year the summer season kicked in early and we saw a spike in AC sales volumes in February, March and April. But, momentum dampened due to the showers," said Kamal Nandi, business head and executive vice-president for appliances business at Godrej Enterprises Group. For cooling appliances,east south and west India reported a 20-25% drop in sales that could be an impact of intermittent rains in early May, he said. However, "AC installation data shows demand is improving and we are growing at 15-20% in May over last year. We are keeping close eye on weather and demand". Cooler temperatures have lowered the use of cooling appliances such as air-conditioners, Mint reported in May. In fact, unseasonal rains and thunderstorms kept temperatures low, pulling down electricity usage by 2% year-on-year for most of the month.Summer sales account for a bulk of purchases for cooling devices such as air-conditioners, fans, and coolers. However, unseasonal rainfall plays spoilsport. Last week, IMD projected above-normal countrywide rainfall in June. While most regions are expected to see normal to above-normal rainfall, some areas, specifically parts of southern peninsular region, Northwest, and Northeast, are likely to experience below-normal rainfall. IMD's April forecast predicted above-normal temperatures and more heatwave days prompting retailers to stock up on supplies. "It was a washout summer or a wet summer for air-conditioners. This season will be down 25% from last year-in value and volumes," said B. Thiagarajan, managing director at BlueStar....