GG News Bureau
New Delhi, 27th May: India is likely to receive above-normal rainfall in June, helping to moderate maximum temperatures across most regions, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Tuesday.
Addressing a press conference, M Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences, said that June rainfall is expected to exceed 108% of the long-period average (LPA) of 166.9 mm. “Most of the country is projected to witness normal to above-normal rainfall, except some southern parts of Peninsular India and isolated areas in the northwest and northeast, which may receive below-normal showers,” he stated.
IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra added that the anticipated rainfall would bring normal to below-normal maximum temperatures in most regions, barring the northwest and northeast, which may continue to experience heat.
He further highlighted that above-normal minimum temperatures are expected across most parts of India due to increased cloud cover, except for parts of central and southern Peninsula.
For the June to September monsoon season, the IMD has forecast 106% of the LPA of 87 cm, categorising it as above normal. While northwest India is likely to witness normal rainfall, the northeast may see below-normal showers. Central India and southern Peninsula are expected to receive above-normal precipitation.
The monsoon core zone—comprising regions such as Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Maharashtra, and Odisha—is also likely to receive more than 106% of average rainfall, boosting prospects for rain-fed agriculture.
Despite an early monsoon onset over Kerala on May 24, the earliest since 2009, meteorologists cautioned against equating early onset with overall seasonal performance. Notably, the monsoon reached Mumbai 16 days early—the earliest since 1950.
The southwest monsoon typically sets in over Kerala by June 1, reaches Mumbai by June 11, and covers the entire country by July 8. It begins retreating from northwest India by September 17 and withdraws completely by October 15.
Highlighting its national significance, the IMD noted that the monsoon supports agriculture, which sustains around 42% of India’s population and contributes 18.2% to the national GDP. It also plays a vital role in replenishing reservoirs, ensuring drinking water supply, and hydropower generation.
India received 934.8 mm of rainfall in 2024, amounting to 108% of the average. In comparison, the nation recorded 820 mm in 2023 (94.4% of average), 925 mm in 2022, 870 mm in 2021, and 958 mm in 2020.
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