Northwest Indian states of Uttar Pradesh, Delhi and Punjab might get good rains from June 26 to July 10, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Thursday in its weather update.
The southwest monsoon, according to IMD, has been around 18 per cent below normal between June 1 to 22, with the maximum shortage being over central India, where onset of rainfall has been delayed. The data showed rains over central India was around 37 per cent below normal in the first 22 days of the four-month southwest monsoon season that ends in September.
So far, in the southern Peninsula and northwest India, the southwest monsoon is around 15 per cent and three per cent above normal, respectively.
The IMD in its second forecast for monsoon 2016 retained its 'above normal' prediction of 106 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA), with heavy rains expected over northwest, central and south peninsular India.
If the forecast is accurate, India might have its heaviest monsoon rainfall since 1994, which more importantly might also be well-distributed.
IMD said rains in July and August is expected to be normal at 107 and 104 per cent of LPA, respectively. The forecast is with a model error of plus or minus nine per cent. Private agency Skymet too gave an 'above normal' forecast for 2016 monsoon.
