Monsoon Likely To Be Delayed By A Week In Odisha

Bhubaneswar:  The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Wednesday said that though the south-west monsoon will be normal in India this year, it is likely to be tentatively delayed by a week in Odisha.

Briefing mediapersons in New Delhi, Director General, IMD, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said as per the first-stage forecast, the rainfall between June and September will be normal. The average rainfall will remain between 96 per cent and 104 per cent.

He said the IMD will update the first-stage forecast in the second-stage forecast either in the last week of May or the first week of June.

Present on the occasion, Secretary, Ministry of Earth Sciences (MoES), Madhavan Rajeevan said that the south-west monsoon will hit the Kerala coast on June 1. “Though it touches Odisha coast by June 10, this time, it will be delayed by a week. Going by the modular study and subsequently the Odisha coast, the monsoon will hit the state by June 13. Despite the delay, the state will receive normal rainfall,” he pointed out.

Apart from Odisha, the monsoon will be delayed in north India while it will hit the north-eastern states on July 8 instead of July 15, he added.