Monsoon likely to be 'above normal' this year, predicts IMD

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday predicted an "above normal" monsoon in 2025, which quantitatively could be 105 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA).

- SANJEEB MUKHERJEE

The forecast is with a model error of plus and minus 5 per cent. This is the second year running when the IMD has predicted an "above normal" monsoon. Last year in April, it had predicted monsoon to be almost 106 per cent while the actual rains were 108 per cent of the LPA.

The cumulative all-India LPA for the June to September rains is 87 centimetres (cm). Rainfall between 96 and 104 per cent of the LPA is considered normal.

A good, well-distributed rainfall in the monsoon months augurs well for the country's farm sector as the period provides more than 70 per cent of the total precipitation that India gets in a year. Good monsoon is also a positive sign in the government's efforts to keep food inflation under control.