Expressing hopefulness over the country’s rainfall situation, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) has said that India could experience above-normal rainfall in July, except for parts of the northeastern region. IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said July rainfall averaged over the country as a whole is most likely to be above normal - more than 106 per cent of the long-period average of 28.04 cm. He added ‘Normal to above-normal rainfall is most likely over most parts of the country except many parts of northeast India and some parts of northwest, east, and southeast peninsular India’.
IMD said maximum temperatures are likely to be normal to below normal over many parts of northwest India and south peninsular India, except the west coast. Above-normal maximum temperatures are likely over many parts of central India, east and northeast India, and along the west coast. It added the minimum temperatures are most likely to be above normal over many parts of the country except some parts of northwest and the adjoining areas of central India, and some pockets of southeastern peninsular India.
It noted northwest India recorded its warmest June last month since 1901, with a mean temperature of 31.73 degrees Celsius. The monthly average maximum temperature in the region settled at 38.02 degrees Celsius, 1.96 degrees Celsius above normal. According to IMD data, the average minimum temperature stood at 25.44 degrees Celsius, 1.35 degrees Celsius above normal. Northwest India recorded a mean temperature of 31.73 degrees Celsius in June, 1.65 degrees Celsius above normal and the highest since 1901.
In June, India recorded below-normal rainfall in June, with the deficit standing at 11 per cent, the highest in five years. According to the IMD data, the country received 147.2 mm of rainfall against a normal of 165.3 mm for the month, the seventh lowest since 2001. June rainfall accounts for 15 per cent of the total precipitation of 87 cm recorded during the four-month monsoon season in the country.