India to have normal Southwest monsoon this year, predicts IMD; season to last from June till September

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) issued the first stage Long Range Forecast (LRF) for South-West monsoon on Wednesday. As per the IMD, the Southwest monsoon seasonal rainfall over the country is likely to be normal. The South-West monsoon season starts in June and lasts till September. IMD said quantitatively, the monsoon seasonal rainfall is likely to be 100 percent of the Long Period Average (LPA) with a margin of ± 5 percent. [caption id=“attachment_6908131” align=“alignleft” width=“380”]  Representative Image. PTI[/caption] While El Nino Southern Oscillation conditions over the Pacific Ocean and Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions remain neutral, there is a possibility of the development of weak La Nina conditions over the Pacific Ocean during the second half of the season, the IMD added. The SST or sea surface temperature over the Pacific and Indian Oceans will have a strong influence on the Indian monsoon. The date for the onset of monsoon in Kerala remains the same and will arrive on 1 June. The state-run weather agency has revised the monsoon arrival dates for some parts of the country. In Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, and parts of Uttar Pradesh the monsoon will be delayed by 3-7 days. The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) issues operational forecast for the South-West monsoon season as a whole in two stages. The first stage forecast is issued in April while the second one is issued in June. The period between June to September is referred to as the Southwest monsoon period. It is the principal rainy season for India and sets in over the extreme southwestern tip of the peninsula by May end. The whole country receives nearly 75 percent of its rainfall during this period.