Monsoon Likely To Be Normal This Year, Predicts Weather Office

India will receive normal rainfall during this year's monsoon season, the India Meteorological Department said today.

Monsoon seasonal rainfall (June to September) over the country as a whole is likely to be 101 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA) - which means the average rainfall recorded in the last ten years. A monsoon season is considered 'Normal' when the average rainfall recorded is between 96 to 104 per cent of the LPA.

Earlier, the Met Department had forecast that monsoon seasonal rainfall is likely to be 98 per cent of the LPA. The LPA of the season rainfall over the country as a whole for the period 1961-2010 is 88 cm.

Rainfall is likely to be normal in north (92 to 108 per cent) and south India (93 to 107 per cent), above-normal in central India (over 106 per cent) and below-normal in east and northeast India (less than 95 per cent), the Met department added.

The onset of the annual monsoon over the Indian subcontinent, that was delayed by two days, is expected to hit the Kerala coast on June 3, Met Director General M Mohapatra told NDTV.

"Situations are now gradually improving for the monsoon to hit," he said. Monsoon is expected to progress well after its entry.

Rainfall over the monsoon core zone, which consists of most of the agriculture regions receiving rainfall in the country, is most likely to be above normal.

Nearly half of India's farmland has no irrigation and depends on the annual June-September rains to grow crops such as rice, corn, cane, cotton, and soybean.

Last month, IMD had said the monsoon would be average this year, raising expectations of higher farm output, which is central to the country's economy.

Monsoon last year was 109 per cent of its LPA. It was the third highest after 112 per cent in 1994 and 110 per cent in 2019.