The India Meteorological Department said on Tuesday that India will receive below-normal monsoon rainfall in June as the north and northwest parts of the country reeled under an intense heatwave.
"The average June rainfall for the country as a whole is most likely to be below normal, i.e. less than 92 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA)," the IMD said in an update to the monsoon forecast.
India has received 20 per cent deficient rains since the southwest monsoon set in over Kerala on May 30.
The north and northwest parts of India are reeling under scorching heat waves, with temperatures exceeding 46 degrees Celcius in most districts.
The national capital is facing acute water shortage in many parts amid a sweltering heat wave.
India has experienced a 20% reduction in rainfall since the beginning of the monsoon season on June 1, and the rain-bearing system has shown no significant progress from June 12 to 18, according to IMD.
However, the weather department has stated that the conditions are now conducive for the monsoon to advance further into parts of Maharashtra, Chhattisgarh, Odisha, coastal Andhra Pradesh, northwest Bay of Bengal, Bihar, and Jharkhand over the next three to four days.
The IMD has forecast normal to above-normal rainfall in most areas of the southern peninsula and some parts of northeast India. Conversely, below-normal rainfall is expected in many areas of northwest and adjoining central India and some parts of northeast India.
Follow us
