A R DAS / NEW DELHI
Good news to Indian farmers as the country is likely to receive above normal monsoon rainfall this year. Briefing media on Southwest Monsoon season rainfall forecast in New Delhi, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences Dr M. Ravichandran said, the monsoon seasonal rainfall from June to September is likely to be 106 per cent of the long period average. He however said that in some areas of northwest, east and northeastern states, the rainfall is likely to be below normal.
On the occasion, DG, India Meteorological Department (IMD) Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that from 1st June to 30th September, the average of the total rainfall of the entire country will be 87 cm. He said, El Niño conditions are likely to weaken during the early part of the monsoon season. Dr Mohapatra said, La Nina conditions, associated with good Monsoon in India will develop between August to September. He added that the data from 1951 to 2023 shows that India experienced above-normal monsoon rainfall on nine occasions when La Nina followed El Nino event.