Rainfall likely to be normal in August-September: IMD

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) today said rainfall over the country was likely to be normal during the second half of the 2010 South-west monsoon in August-September.

Quantitatively, rainfall for the country as a whole during August-September, 2010 is likely to be 107% of long period average (LPA) with a model error of ±7%, a press release from the IMD said.

It also said that the outlook for the 2010 Southwest Monsoon Season Rainfall was that the monsoon season (June to September) rainfall for the country as a whole was likely to be within the normal limits as predicted by IMD earlier.

The season (June to September) rainfall over the three geographical regions (Northwest India, Central India and South Peninsula) was also likely to be within the normal limits. However, the season rainfall over Northeast India is likely to be below normal, it said.

The IMD issues operational long range forecasts for the Southwest monsoon season rainfall over the country as a whole in two stages; in April and in June.

Along with update forecast for the season rainfall over the country as whole issued in June, forecast for monthly rainfall (for July and August) over the country as a whole and season (June to September) rainfall over the four geographical regions (Northwest India, Central India, Northeast India and South Peninsula) are also issued.

From last year (2009), IMD has started to issue forecast outlook for the rainfall during second half (August-September) of the monsoon season.

The actual rainfall received so far, from June 1 to July 28, was 95 per cent of LPA at the all-India level, 98 per cent in Northwest India, 99 per cent in Central India, 76 per cent in Northeast India and 113 per cent in the South Peninsula. The rainfall was 101 per cent of LPA for all-India in July, the release said.

NNN