India to see ‘below normal’ monsoon, says India Meteorological Department

India is staring at a ‘below normal’ southwest monsoon, the India Meteorological Department warned for the first time in 11 years in its April forecast. Between the monsoon months of June-September, India is likely to receive only 92% of the Long Period Average (LPA) of 87 cm this monsoon, M. Ravichandran, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences said at a press briefing on Monday.

India last experienced reduced monsoon rainfall in 2023, when the IMD had warned of “near normal” rainfall at 96% of the LPA. In 2015, the IMD’s warning of below normal rain -- at 93% of the LPA -- turned out to be an underestimate. Actual rainfall was recorded at 86% and it ended as one of India’s worst drought years.