Monsoon rains in India are expected to be below normal levels this year, according to Skymet, a private weather forecasting.
“The Pacific Ocean has become strongly warmer than average. The model projections call for 80 per cent chance of El Nino during March-May, dropping to 60 per cent for June to August,” Jatin Singh, managing director of Skymet, was quoted as saying to reporters.
“This means, it is going to be a devolving El Nino year, though retaining threshold values all through the season. Thus, monsoon 2019 is likely to be below normal.”
Earlier in February, Singh had said that there is a more than 50 percent chance that India will get normal rainfall. He had then further said that there is only a small probability of excessive rainfall.
In India average rainfall is defined to be between 96 percent and 104 percent of a 50-year average of 89 cm for the entire four-month season beginning June.
