Monsoon likely to be normal this year, expect rainfall at 97% of average : IMD

Ruling out the possibility of a deficient monsoon, India Meteorological Department on Monday predicted normal rainfall this year. This is the third consecutive year when the IMD predicted normal monsoon rains for the country.

The MET department said that monsoon will be 97 per cent of long period average, which is normal for the season.

The monsoon will be 97 per cent of long period average, which is normal for the season, IMD Director General K G Ramesh told a press conference.

He said that there was "very less probability" of a deficient monsoon.

According to IMD, there is 42 per cent possibility of normal rainfall and 12 per cent possibility of above normal rainfall - it means there are good chances of normal rainfall in the country. The date of onset of monsoon will be announced in the middle of May.

The monsoon is considered normal if the average rainfall is between 96 to 104 per cent of long period average.

Anything less than 90 per cent of LPA is termed a 'deficient' monsoon, and 90-96 per cent of the same is considered 'below normal'.

The four-month monsoon season provides about 70 per cent of the country's annual rainfall.

On April 4, Skymet Weather said the Monsoon 2018 was likely to remain normal at 100 per cent (with an error margin of +/-5 per cent) of the long period average (LPA) of 887 mm for the four-month period from June to September.