IMD says monsoon in August-September to be 'normal', contradicts Skymet

Met department says August rains to be better-than-expected

Days after private weather forecasting agency Skymet lowered its forecast for the 2018 southwest monsoon season to ‘below normal’, the state-run India Meteorological Department (IMD) said rain in August and September would be ‘normal’ at 95 per cent of the long-period average (LPA).

The IMD, however, used a different parameter than what it usually considers for full season forecasts. The latest forecast is with a model error of plus and minus 8 per cent. 

IMD Additional Director General M Mohapatra, defended the different parameter and said for the August-September period the normal limit was 94-106 per cent of the LPA.

The IMD has