Monsoon 2020: Good news, you can expect normal monsoon in India this year, according to IMD! The Ministry of Earth Sciences has brought in good news for the country. This will come as a relief, particularly for India’s farmers as the agriculture sector reeling under the Coronavirus lockdown. The ministry has declared its observations on the south-west monsoon in a press conference on Wednesday, April 15. The IMD has also declared the expected onset and withdrawal date of the southwest monsoon in the different parts of the country. However, the ministry has said that a near-accurate projection will only be made in later half of next month.
Top details about Southwest monsoon in India this year:
- The Indian Meteorological demand has projected the South-west monsoon 2020 at ‘Normal’ with the Long Period Average.
- The onset of monsoon will begin on June 1 and it will retreat on Septemeber 30.
- IMD has projected India’s 1st stage of monsoon at 100 per cent of the LPA with an error of 5 per cent on either side.
- The amount of rainfall in the range of 96 per cent to 104 per cent of the LPA is categorised under normal rainfall by the IMD.
- LPA is calculated on the basis of average rainfall in India from 1961 to 2000.
- India’s LPA is 88 cm.
- The department also shared the different phases of oceans — La Nina and El Nino.
- El Nino phase when the temperature is lower than the normal sea temperature hampers the rainfall while a prolonged La Nina when the temperature is higher than average sea temperature phase in the ocean elongates the rainy season in the country.
- Director-General of IMD, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra has said that the models have depicted a possibility of La Nina in the later phase of the monsoon that will boost the chance of heavy rainfall in the country.
Onsets of monsoon in different parts of the country:
- The Southwest monsoon will start its journey in India from Thiruvananthpuram, Kerala on June 1.
- The Southwest monsoon will hit Chennai’s shores three days later than its earlier projection of June 1 on June 4.
- Goa will receive the onset of north-west monsoon on June 7.
- Mumbai will receive the first spell of monsoon rains on June 11
- Odisha will have its share of rainfall starting on June 13.
- Hyderabad will receive its first spell of southwest monsoon rains on June 8
Southwest monsoon accounts for the 70 per cent of the total rainfall India receives annually and it is one of the principal deciding factors for the fate of crop as farmers are heavily reliant on it for for the irrigation purpose.
