Monsoon cheer: IMD forecast of well-distributed rainfall is a big relief

Copious and well-spaced precipitation is badly needed this year for several pressing reasons

The forecast by the India Meteorological Department (IMD) that rainfall in this year’s monsoon season (June to September) is likely to be normal is in line with the outlook of other global and local weather agencies. While the IMD has projected total rainfall in 2018 to be 97 per cent of the long-period average (LPA) of 89 cm, private weather watcher Skymet has put it at an even more optimistic 100 per cent of the LPA. If these prognoses hold true, this will be the third consecutive normal monsoon after the back-to-back droughts of 2014 and 2015. However, more important