India to see normal monsoon from June to September, says IMD

India is likely to receive normal monsoon this year, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Friday. "The southwest monsoon is likely to be normal over India from June to September," the weather department said. It added that the monsoon season is expected produce 96 percent of rainfall, "with error margin of 4 percent".

The monsoon onset is likely over Kerala on June 4. The conditions are "favourable for further advance of southwest monsoon into Andaman sea, Andaman and Nicobar islands, south Bay of Bengal," the IMD said in a press conference on Friday.

The IMD predicted deficient rainfall in northwest India, while excess rainfall in Peninsular India this month. "The northwest India is likely to get less than 92 percent of rainfall of long period average," the IMD said.

The weather department predicted that western disturbances might cause rains in northwest and central India for the next few days.

Temperatures in June might hover above normal over most parts of India, the IMD said, adding that rainfall in June is likely to be below normal. "Above normal rainfall in June is likely in south peninsula, western Rajasthan and Ladakh," the IMD said.

Addressing the media, the IMD said conditions for El Nino is becoming favourable over the Pacific Ocean and will continue till 2024. It reiterated that there's no "one to one relationship between El Nino and the Indian monsoon".

The country received above normal rainfall in May 2023. The IMD said fewer heat waves were recorded as compared to previous years.