Adani Enterp. 2493.35↓-3.10(-0.12%)
Adani Ports 738.85↑4.80(0.65%)
Apollo Hospitals 4621.95↑22.80(0.50%)
Asian Paints 3192.95↑48.55(1.54%)
Axis Bank 914.85↓-22.60(-2.41%)
B P C L 363.50↑3.10(0.86%)
Bajaj Auto 4567.15↓-24.75(-0.54%)
Bajaj Finance 6989.85↓-15.95(-0.23%)
Bajaj Finserv 1451.05↓-14.80(-1.01%)
Bharti Airtel 849.90↑31.45(3.84%)
Britannia Inds. 4657.05↑83.80(1.83%)
Cipla 953.05↓-6.80(-0.71%)
Coal India 241.25↓-3.05(-1.25%)
Divi's Lab. 3443.60↓-14.40(-0.42%)
Dr Reddy's Labs 4501.05↓-17.85(-0.40%)
Eicher Motors 3671.95↓-6.40(-0.17%)
Grasim Inds 1718.35↓-6.80(-0.39%)
H D F C 2640.40↓-52.95(-1.97%)
HCL Technologies 1145.10↑9.25(0.81%)
HDFC Bank 1610.85↓-25.90(-1.58%)
HDFC Life Insur. 592.35↑7.20(1.23%)
Hero Motocorp 2759.90↓-19.25(-0.69%)
Hind. Unilever 2667.55↑11.00(0.41%)
Hindalco Inds. 405.90↓-7.20(-1.74%)
ICICI Bank 949.15↓-0.80(-0.08%)
IndusInd Bank 1286.60↓-6.65(-0.51%)
Infosys 1318.30↓-5.55(-0.42%)
ITC 445.50↓-4.40(-0.98%)
JSW Steel 696.30↓-8.30(-1.18%)
Kotak Mah. Bank 2014.35↑39.65(2.01%)
Larsen & Toubro 2205.65↓-5.15(-0.23%)
M & M 1319.00↓-9.45(-0.71%)
Maruti Suzuki 9367.70↓-15.65(-0.17%)
Nestle India 21673.10↑98.65(0.46%)
NTPC 173.85↓-2.95(-1.67%)
O N G C 154.90↓-3.95(-2.49%)
Power Grid Corpn 233.85↓-1.25(-0.53%)
Reliance Industr 2469.90↓-50.05(-1.99%)
SBI Life Insuran 1235.00↑19.10(1.57%)
St Bk of India 579.85↓-12.95(-2.18%)
Sun Pharma.Inds. 975.35↑15.75(1.64%)
Tata Consumer 798.65↑7.75(0.98%)
Tata Motors 526.30↑7.50(1.45%)
Tata Steel 105.80↓-1.25(-1.17%)
TCS 3289.50↓-26.70(-0.81%)
Tech Mahindra 1115.55↑17.15(1.56%)
Titan Company 2823.25↑20.75(0.74%)
UltraTech Cem. 7870.05↓-31.90(-0.40%)
UPL 685.10↓-3.95(-0.57%)
Wipro 403.65↑1.15(0.29%)

Beyond good rains: The making of a 'normal monsoon'

Their timeliness, distribution and spread are of vital importance for Indian agriculture

Sanjeeb Mukherjee New Delhi

Commuters make their way during heavy rain, near Oberoi Mall at Goregaon Mumbai on Wednesday.

Premium

4 min read Last Updated : Apr 18 2023 | 3:45 PM IST

Listen to This Article

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) soothed nerves, especially about food supplies, when it forecast a "normal" monsoon for the June-September period at 96 per cent of the long period average (LPA).

IMD’s first monsoon forecast for the year followed private weather forecasting agency Skymet’s prediction of a below-par monsoon at 94 per cent of the LPA. Both forecasts have a model error of plus and minus five per cent.

In meteorological terms, there is a world of difference between "normal" and "below normal" forecasts. Both IMD and Skymet had almost similar views on the emergence of El Nino, a weather pattern that occurs in the Pacific Ocean, during the four-month monsoon season. What they differed on was the impact of El Nino and other factors in shaping the monsoon’s trajectory this year.