Skymet: India headed for a normal monsoon

New Delhi: India is expected to get a normal monsoon in 2024, private weather forecasting agency Skymet said on Tuesday, which is good news for the country’s agricultural sector that was hit by an erratic monsoon last year. Monsoon rains are expected to be 102 per cent of the long-period average of 868.6 mm for the four-month period from June to Sept, according to Skymet.

The forecasting agency said it expects "sufficiently good rains" in southern, western and north-western parts of the country. Close to half the country’s farm area is unirrigated and dependent on the rains for raising crops. A good monsoon also ensures that the country’s water reservoirs get filled up and can be used for subsequent irrigation.

"El Nino is swiftly flipping over to La Nina. And, monsoon circulation tends to be stronger during La Nina years," Jatin Singh, Managing Director, Skymet, said in a statement.