IMD Forecasts Normal Monsoon for This Year

New Delhi: The country is likely to receive normal monsoon rainfall this year. Briefing media in New Delhi on the Southwest Monsoon season rainfall forecast, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences M Ravichandran today said that monsoon seasonal rainfall from June to September is likely to be 96 percent of the long period average, LPA.

He said, about 83.5 cm of rainfall will occur from June to September this year, which comes under the normal category. Speaking on the occasion, the Director General, of India Meteorological Department, Dr. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said, during the southwest monsoon, normal rain is likely over many parts of the peninsular region, adjoining east central, northeastern regions, and some parts of northwest India.

He added, normal to below-normal rainfall is likely over parts of northwest India, west-central India, and some pockets of northeast regions.

Dr. Mohapatra said El Nino conditions are likely to develop during the monsoon season and its impact may be seen during the second half of the monsoon season. He said, all the El Nino years not bad monsoon years.