New Delhi: The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Monday that the southwest monsoon, after a sluggish start in June, is expected to gain momentum in July.
The all-India average rainfall is predicted to reach 106 percent of the long-period average (LPA), classifying it as “above normal.”
The LPA for July stands at 28.04 cm, and precipitation is expected to surpass this figure, providing a significant boost to kharif sowing.
July and August are crucial months for the southwest monsoon, contributing over 60 per cent of the total seasonal rainfall.
Above-normal rain in Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, and Jammu and Kashmir along with the Godavari and Mahanadi delta will make them more prone to riverine floods but it is difficult to predict it now,” IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said at a virtual press conference on Monday
He noted that normal to above-normal rainfall is likely across most of the country in July, except for many parts of northeast India and some regions in the northwest, east, and southeast peninsular India, where below-normal rainfall is expected.
Mohapatra explained that El Niño conditions had ended, with “neutral” conditions now prevailing over the Pacific Ocean, expected to transition to La Niña. The IMD also forecasted that maximum temperatures in July would be normal to below normal in many parts of northwest India and the south peninsular region, except for the west coast. Minimum temperatures are likely to be above normal in many areas, except for some regions in northwest and central India, and parts of southeastern peninsular India.
