100 pc rainfall this yr: Met Dept

Pune, July 2 (UNI) Despite rains playing truant with a long dry spell in the month of June, the monsoon became active in the last week and India will receive a normal rainfall during June to September, according to the weather department.

Announcing the second stage of forecast for the southwest monsoon rainfall, India Meteorological Department (IMD) Director (forecast) Medha Khole in an official release stated here yesterday that the seasons rainfall is likely to be 100 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA), which is 890 mm with a model error of more than four per cent.

Overall rainfall in the country during the month of July 2008 is likely to be 98 per cent of its LPA with a model error of beyond nine per cent. Over four broad geographical regions of the country, downpour for 2008 Southwest Monsoon, the season is likely to be 96 per cent of its LPA over Northwest India, 101 per cent of its LPA over Northeast and Central India each. South Peninsula will receive 98 per cent of its LPA, all with a model error of more than eight per cent, she said.

Earlier, IMD, in its first stage forecast released in April, had predicted seasonal rainfall over the country to be 99 per cent of its LPA, with a model error of over five per cent.

Ms Khole said heavy to very heavy rainfall is likely to occur at a few places in the Ghat region and North Konkan and at isolated places over south Konkan and Goa, North Madhya Maharashtra during the next 48 hours, Ms Kolhe stated.

UNI DWN ZA SY KP1903