India Met Department 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 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 per cent of the long period average, LPA.

 

He said, about 83.5 cm rainfall will occur during June to September this year, which comes under normal category. Speaking on the occasion, Director General, India Meteorological Department, Dr Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said, during



southwest monsoon, normal rain likely over many parts of peninsular region, adjoining east central, northeastern regions and some parts of northwest India.

 

He said, 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.