Centre says normal monsoon expected this year

New Delhi (IANS) The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Tuesday said that the country will witness normal rainfall during the monsoon season, adding that there are 67 per cent chances of normal to above-normal rainfall this year.

Secretary in the Union Ministry of Earth Sciences, M. Ravichandran said that the country will see normal rain during the Southwest monsoon season.

He added that there is a likelihood of a 96 per cent of the long-period average of roughly 87 cm.

The government's forecast may come as a relief to farmers even as on Monday, private weather forecaster Skymet had predicted "below normal" rainfall during the monsoon season between June and September, attributing the deficiency to a strengthening El Nino phenomenon.