Unexcepted Monsoon This Year

Unexcepted Monsoon This Year

• Private weather forecaster Skymet has predicted normal monsoon rains from June to September, joining a series of international meteorologists that have made a similar assessment. Skymet expects a few dry patches in parts of eastern & central India but on the whole it is optimistic.
• Rainfall between 90 to 96 per cent of average is considered below average while above 110 per cent of the average would mean an excessive monsoon -- not as damaging as drought but potentially hurting yields of sugar cane.
• There is some good news in store for the country as the most awaited south-west monsoon this year would be normal across the country. It is more likely to be above normal in the Himalayan ranges & below normal in northwestern & southern parts of South Asia.
• The Skymet forecast further says that rains this year will be normal in the country as a whole.
• "The monsoon might be 103% of the long-period average [LPA] of 89 cm, for the four-month period [from June to September] in the country as a whole," the agency said in its release.
• Monsoon rains are crucial for the agriculture sector, which contributes about 15 per cent to the country's GDP, as only 40 per cent of the total cultivable area is under irrigation.

Expect normal monsoon this year, agriculture GDP growth may be about 1.5%
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