The India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated today, on May 31, that the country is expected to experience normal monsoon rainfall this year
“Quantitatively, the monsoon seasonal (June to September) rainfall over the country as a whole is likely to be 103% of the Long Period Average (LPA)with a model error of ± 4%. The LPA of the seasonal rainfall over the country as a whole based on data of 1971-2020 is 87 cm [centimetres],” the weather department mentioned in its press statement issued today.
Arriving as a good news for the farmers who are reeling from the crop damage as consequence of prolonged winters and an early heat wave, the IMD stated that the southwest monsoon seasonal rainfall over the monsoon core zone, which consists of most of the rainfed agriculture regions is most likely to be ‘Above Normal’ (>106% of LPA).
“Our forecast indicates that La Nina will prevail during the entire monsoon season. Besides, there are more ocean and atmospheric parameters now in favour of the Indian summer monsoon than what prevailed during April,” Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the director general of IMD, was quoted.
La Nina is a weather influencing phenomenon as a result of which the sea surface temperatures recorded along the equatorial Pacific Ocean remain unusually cool which normally favours a good monsoon over the Indian subcontinent.
After hitting the Kerala coast on May 29, the Southwest monsoon, between May 30-May 31, advanced into the rest of Kerala, Lakshadweep, more parts of Tamil Nadu and the Arabian Sea.
