India likely to receive normal monsoon says IMD, as country fights against COVID-19

India is likely to receive normal monsoon this year, the weather department said on Wednesday, as the nation battles COVID-19 pandemic. According to the first-stage forecast issued by India Meteorological Department (IMD), the Southwest monsoon seasonal rainfall between June to September is expected to be normal

Long Range Forecast (LRF) for monsoon in 2020, Secretary of Ministry of Earth Sciences, M Rajeevan said the seasonal rainfall is likely to be 100 per cent which falls in the "normal" category. The LPA of seasonal rainfall over India for the period 1961-2010 is 88 cm.

"Good news is that it is estimated that the deficient rainfall will be nine per cent. This forecast is based on the statistical model. It suggests that we will have a normal monsoon", he said.

The second-stage forecast will be issued by IMD later in May or in the first week of June.

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State-wise monsoon forecast

The southwest monsoon that replenishes India’s farm-dependent economy first hits the southern tip of Kerala usually in the first week of June and retreats from Rajasthan by September. Monsoon is likely to hit Kerala’s Thiruvananthapuram on June 1. 

In other states such as Maharashtra, Gujarat, Madhya Pradesh, Chhattisgarh, Telangana, Andhra Pradesh, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar and parts of Uttar Pradesh, rainfall will be delayed by three to seven days, compared to the existing dates.

However, the monsoon is expected to arrive over northwest India a little earlier on July 8 compared to the existing date of July 15. Monsoon is likely to retreat in south India on October 15.

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India under lockdown

Meanwhile, the centre has imposed a complete lockdown in India till May 3 as a measure to prevent the spread of deadly COVID-19 which has infected more than 11,000 people in the country and claimed more than 300 lives. While all other activities have been brought at a halt in the wake of nationwide lockdown, the manufacture and supply of essentials commodities continue to function in the country. 

As a plan of action ahead of monsoon, the Maharashtra government has issued revised protocol to be followed by the citizens during the three-week-long curfew. While many of the guidelines issued by the Maharashtra Government follow those issued by the Centre, one additional one that sticks out is that all the urgent pre-monsoon related works will continue during the lockdown. 

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(With inputs from ANI)