India to have normal monsoon this year

Vibha Sharma

Tribune News Service

New Delhi, April 13

For 2021, private forecaster Skymet Weather has predicted “normal” monsoon rains for the country at 103 per cent (907 mm) of the Long Period Average (LPA) rains this year. The rains will be “normal”, ending in the upper half of the normal range, the spread being 96-104% of LPA, said Skymet president GP Sharma.

The prediction comes with an error margin of 5 per cent.

While most parts of the country are expected to see "normal" rains, some parts of plains of the northwest (Rajasthan, Punjab, and Haryana) and eastern parts may witness "some deficiency" during the season. In terms of geographical risk, plains of North India along with few parts of the Northeast are likely to be at risk of being rain deficient through the season, the Skymet said.

However, September is expected to bring “above-normal" rains (116 percent of the LPA) in most parts of the country, including the Northwest. Mahesh Palawat of Skymet Weather said the monsoon usually reaches Northwest around June-end. In those terms, June is generally dry apart from some pre-monsoon build-up.

“Last year, while Punjab reported rain surplus, Haryana recorded deficient rainfall. This year, the two states may report some deficiency between 10 to 15 per cent in July and August. However, September seems to be rain surplus ,” Palawat said.