Southwest monsoon: India to receive 'normal' rains with 102% of average

The southwest monsoon has made an onset over Kerala, marking the commencement of the four-month-long rainfall season, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday (June 1).

It also noted that the monsoon rainfall between June and September over the country will be 102 per cent of its long-period average (LPA), which means 88 cm of the average.

Elaborating the details, IMD director general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said, Kerala will receive heavy to very heavy rainfall in the next three days.

“Widespread rainfall is predicted in Kerala in three days. More than 80 per cent stations of IMD have recorded more than 2.5 mm rainfall,” said Dr. Mohapatra.

North India is likely to get “above normal” rainfall, while Central India and the southern peninsula will receive “normal” rainfall, the IMD said.

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However, east and northeast India are likely to receive less rainfall than other parts of the country.

The Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES) also said that rainfall over the country as a whole for the 2020 southwest monsoon season is most likely to be ‘normal’ (96 per cent to 104 per cent of the LPA).

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MoES also marked that a low-pressure area over Southeast and adjoining East-central Arabian Sea and Lakshadweep area has developed into a ‘depression’ which is expected to move northwards and turn North-East hitting Gujarat and Maharashtra coast on June 3.

The four-month monsoon season from June to September accounts for 75 per cent of rainfall in the country.

(With inputs from agencies.)