Monsoon set to keep June 1 onset date with Kerala

INDIA RECEIVES ABOUT 70% OF ITS ANNUAL RAINFALL DURING THE RAINY SEASON, WHICH IS CRUCIAL FOR THE AGRI ECONOMY

NEW DELHI: India is likely to see a normal monsoon this year, expected to arrive on time in Kerala on June 1, a top government official said on Thursday, citing an early indication ahead of the India Meteorological Department’s official forecast due May 15.

India receives about 70% of its annual rainfall during the fourmonth rainy season, which is crucial for the country’s farmdependent agricultural economy that employs nearly 50% of the country’s population.

A normal monsoon -- which hits Kerala around June 1 and covers the rest of the country by mid-July -- is imperative for the agriculture sector, especially this year, as it could help farmers and cultivators sidestep losses due to a pandemic ravaging the country.

“Extended range forecast suggests monsoon will arrive over Kerala on time, around June 1.

This is an early indication. @indiametdept [The India Meteorological Department] official monsoon forecast on May 15 and rainfall forecast update around May 31,” said M Rajeevan, secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences.

“Early analysis indicates monsoon will arrive around June 1 over Kerala. Like we have projected earlier it’s likely to be a normal monsoon this year,” he added. In its long-range forecast, IMD said on April 16 that annual monsoon rains are likely to be normal at around 98% of the long period average (LPA) after two years of above-average rainfall.