Sixty per cent chance of below normal rainfall: Private forecaster

Skymet, a private forecaster, has downgraded its monsoon forecast, saying that there is a 60 per cent chance of below normal rainfall this monsoon.

It added that monsoon rain was likely to be 94 per cent of the long period average (LPA) with an error margin of +/- 4 per cent. Initially, on 13th April, Skymet had forecast monsoon rainfall to be "healthy normal" at 103 per cent, with an error margin of +/- 5 per cent, of LPA.

India’s monsoon LPA is 880.6mm, for the period from June to September.


The IMD (Indian Meteorological Department) hasn’t made any comments on the same.

Skymet also said that Gujarat, Rajasthan, Odisha, Kerala and northeastern India were likely to end up with deficient rain, while there were chances of a "drought" over Gujarat and west Rajasthan.