Zeenews Bureau
New Delhi: Allaying concerns over scanty rainfall in the last few weeks, the Indian Meteorological Department on Friday announced that India`s crucial monsoon rains are still expected to be average in 2012.
In a statement, the weather office said that monsoon rains in 2012 would be 96 percent of the long-term average overall, down from its April forecast of 99 percent. As per the Meteorological Department’s classification, a normal or average monsoon means rainfall between 96-104 percent of a 50-year average of 89 centimetres in total during the four-month season from June.
"Rainfall over the country as a whole for the 2012 southwest monsoon season (June to September) is most likely to be normal," the IMD said in a statement.
The onset of monsoon was delayed by about three days.
"It set in over Kerala on June 05. The cumulative seasonal rainfall over the country as a whole during June 01-21 is 76 percent of total average rainfall," it said.
The weather office also forecast average rains in July and August, key months for planting and maturing of crops. Delhiites will soon heave a sigh of relief after days of scorching heat as the Met Department announced that monsoon will reach the national capital soon.
It also said that La Nina phenomenon won’t have any bearing on monsoon.
On Thursday, the weather office had said that India`s crucial monsoon has stopped in its tracks and may not advance further for another four days and reported 26 percent deficient rainfall across the country this season.
(With Agency inputs)