Amid El Nino concerns, IMD to hold press conference on ‘long range monsoon forecast’ today at 12 pm
2 min read 26 May 2023, 10:27 AM ISTIn the press conference, IMD will also give the monthly rainfall and temperature forecast for June 2023.
PremiumThe India Meteorological Department (IMD) on 26 May hold a press conference on “Long Range Forecast for Southwest Monsoon 2023" at 12 pm.
As per IMD, Dr D. S. Pai, Sc-G and Head EMRC and NWP IMD will address the Conference. Moreover, in the press conference, IMD will also give the monthly rainfall and temperature forecast for June 2023.
El Nino, which is the warming of the waters in the Pacific Ocean near South America, is generally associated with the weakening of monsoon winds and dry weather in India. The El Nino conditions this year follow three consecutive La Nina years. La Nina, which is the opposite of El Nino, typically brings good rainfall during the monsoon season.
Earlier, IMD had said that El Nino conditions are expected to develop around July, and their impact may be felt in the second half of the monsoon season. "If at all there is any adverse impact due to the evolving El Nino conditions during the monsoon season, it is likely to be countered by the favourable impact of positive IOD and the lower snow cover over the northern hemisphere," the IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra had said.
Speaking about the latest updates on monsoon in India, IMD had predicted the onset of monsoon over Kerala is likely to be delayed this year, predicting its arrival on June 4, four days after the normal date predicted on June 1. Private forecaster Skymet added that it sees monsoon will make a weak onset a week later by 7 June with an error margin of plus or minus three days.
Last month, IMD predicted a normal monsoon this year, offering hope to millions of farmers. Forecast of below-normal monsoon rains for 2023 by Skymet, however, posed mounting risks to rural incomes, consumption and economic growth. It had said that rains in the June-September season will be 94 percent of the long-period average due to the impact of the El Niño weather pattern, linked to droughts or poor rainfall in India. The IMD had forecast rains at 96 percent of the long period average.
Meanwhile, monsoon showers are vital for India’s agriculture sector which accounts for about 18 percent of the economy. Nearly half of India's farmland depend on annual June-September monsoon showers to grow crops.
Farmers in India cultivate kharif or summer crops, which account for about 48-50 percent of India’s total agriculture basket, during the June-October monsoon period. Over this period, major crops such as paddy, cotton, maize, tur, soybean and groundnut are sown. India depends heavily on monsoon rainfall for agriculture production, which offers the highest employment to people.
