India Monsoon Rain Looks Set to Be the Strongest Since 1994
- State agency maintains April rain forecast of 106% of average
- Monsoon onset over Kerala seen early next week, bureau says
QuickTake: Will India's Monsoon Season Fail?
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India is set for the highest monsoon rainfall in 22 years as El Nino, which caused the first back-to-back drought in almost three decades, makes way for a La Nina.
The precipitation during the four-month rainy season starting in June is seen at 106 percent of the 50-year average of about 89 centimeters (35 inches), the same as forecast in April, the India Meteorological Department said in New Delhi on Thursday. That’s less than the 109 percent predicted by Skymet Weather Services Pvt., a private forecaster. The prediction has a margin of error of 4 percent, the department said.