PNS|New Delhi
India is likely to receive above-normal rainfall in June, which is expected to keep maximum temperatures in check in most parts of the country, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday.
At a press conference, M Ravichandran, Secretary in the Ministry of Earth Sciences, said rainfall across the country during June is likely to be more than 108 per cent of the long-period average of 166.9 mm.
“During June, most of the country is expected to receive normal to above-normal rainfall. However, some southern parts of peninsular India and parts of northwest and northeast India may receive below-normal rain,” he said.
IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that due to this expected good rainfall, most parts of the country may experience normal to below-normal maximum temperatures, except for many areas in Northwest and Northeast India.
Above-normal minimum temperatures are likely over most parts of the country, except some parts of central India and the adjoining south Peninsula owing to the cloudiness, he said.
From June to September, he said, the country is likely to receive 106 per cent of the long-period average rainfall of 87 cm. Rainfall between 96 per cent and 104 per cent of the 50-year average of 87 cm is considered ‘normal’, the IMD said.
Northwest India is likely to receive normal rainfall, while the Northeast may see below-normal rain. Central India and the southern peninsular region are expected to receive above-normal rainfall, he said.
The monsoon core zone is likely to receive above-normal rainfall (more than 106 per cent of the long-period average) this season. This zone includes parts of Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, Odisha and nearby areas, which depend heavily on monsoon rain for agriculture.
Above-normal rainfall is expected in most parts of the country, except for Ladakh, adjoining areas of Himachal Pradesh, northeastern states and some parts of Bihar, Jharkhand, West Bengal and Odisha.
Some isolated areas in Punjab, Haryana, Kerala and Tamil Nadu may experience below-normal rainfall.
The southwest monsoon reached Kerala on May 24, marking its earliest arrival over the Indian mainland since 2009, when it reached the southern state on May 23. The primary rain bearing system set in over Mumbai 16 days before the usual date, making it the earliest since 1950.
The southwest monsoon usually makes its onset over Kerala by June 1, reaches Mumbai by June 11 and covers the entire country by July 8. It starts retreating from northwest India around September 17 and withdraws completely by October 15.
Meteorologists emphasise that the date of monsoon onset has no direct correlation with the total seasonal rainfall.
The monsoon arriving early or late in Kerala or Mumbai does not mean it will cover other parts of the country. It is characterised by large-scale variabilities and global, regional and local features.
India saw 934.8 mm of rainfall in 2024, 108 per cent of the average.
