New Delhi : After two successive years of widespread drought that have almost one third of the country’s population reeling under acute agrarian crisis and water shortages, the weathermen is predicting that the monsoon this year would be ‘normal to excess.”
The monsoon has been delayed by a week, but it is expected to hit Kerala by June 7th.
“The monsoon is currently located around the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, where it has been for about two weeks. Many parts of Kerala have begun getting pre-monsoon showers. Conditions are rife for the onset of monsoon over Kerala in the next four to five days,” IMD director general L S Rathore said while releasing the second long range forecast.
But the delayed onset over Kerala is unlikely to have any impact on the overall rainfall. However, because of the late onset, first half of June was likely to be dry, but good rainfall was expected in the second half. Both July and August were likely to bring more than normal rainfall. Rains were expected to be 107 per cent of normal in July and 104 per cent of normal in August. The country as a whole was likely to get rainfall that was 106 per cent of normal.
