IMD Predicts Normal Monsoon during 2013

     New Delhi, April 26, 2013: India would have a normal monsoon rainfall this year, Union Minister of Earth Sciences & Science and Technology S Jaipal Raddy said today.

     The country would experience a 96 to 104 per cent rainfall during Southwest monsoon seasonal rainfall during June to September, Raddy told a press conference here.

     Quantitatively, the monsoon seasonal rainfall is likely to be 98 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA) with a model error of five per cent on either side.

     The LPA of the season rainfall over the country as a whole for the period 1951-2000 is 89 cm.

     Also, the probability for normal rainfall is 46 per cent, as against the climatological value of 33 per cent, he said.

     The India Meteorological Department (IMD) would issue an update forecast in June 2013 as a part of the second stage forecast, the Minister said.

      Along with the update forecast, separate forecasts for the monthly (July and August) rainfall over the country as a whole and seasonal (June-September) rainfall over the four geographical regions of India, would also be issued by the IMD.

     He said over most part of our country, 70 – 90 per cent of the annual rain fall is received during the southwest monsoon (June-September). Also, this rain fall was positively related to crop production in the country which has significant impact on the economy of the country, he added.