IMD raises 2022 monsoon forecast to 103% of LPA on likely La Nina effect

Monsoon in core rain-fed areas that are home to bulk of Kharif pulses and oilseeds, is likely to be 106% of LPA

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday updated the forecast for 2022 southwest monsoon to 103 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA), from 99 per cent of LPA predicted in April as La Niña conditions are expected to prevail during the entire stretch of the four-month monsoon season.

This could have a positive impact on the retail inflation rate that has galloped to a 95-month high in April at 7.8 per cent, and spur economic growth.

The forecast is with a model error of plus/minus 4 per cent.

The LPA for the seasonal rainfall for the country as whole from 1971