India to get above-normal rainfall this monsoon: IMD

New Delhi, April 15: India is expected to get above-normal rainfall in the upcoming south-west monsoon season, the India Meteorological Department said Tuesday, raising hopes for a bountiful harvest for the largely agri-based economy.

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According to the long-range monsoon forecast, the IMD said large parts of Tamil Nadu and the northeastern region were likely to get below-normal rainfall, while the rain-deficient parts of Marathwada and adjoining Telangana are expected to witness above-normal showers.

“India is likely to see above-normal rainfall in the four-month monsoon season (June to September), with cumulative rainfall estimated at 105 per cent (with a model error of 5 per cent) of the long-period average of 87 cm," M Ravichandran, secretary in the Earth Sciences Ministry, told a press conference here.

The southwest monsoon lasts from June 1 to September 30. He said that of all the global factors that influence monsoon rainfall over India, two will have a neutral impact, and one will have a positive impact on rainfall this year.