Excelsior Correspondent
NEW DELHI, Aug 12: Dr Jitendra Singh, Union Minister of State (Independent Charge) for Science & Technology and Earth Sciences, MoS in Prime Minister’s Office (PMO), Personnel, Public Grievances and Pensions, Space & Atomic Energy today that scientific forecast by the Department of Earth Sciences indicates that the level of monsoon will rise in the weeks to come with long period average for August-September (LPA) around 95%.
Brushing aside speculation regarding possible drought in certain parts of the country, Dr Jitendra Singh while addressing a press conference said that in a country as vast and heterogeneous as India, variations and variability of the weather are expected but the forecast based on data collected from 2500 centres from across the country indicates that while in North East, monsoon will be measuring about 95% of long period average, it may be lower in North West measuring 76%, but higher in Central India and South Peninsula, measuring 89% and 87% respectively.
Dr.Jitendra Singh said that the forecasts made from the Indian Meteorology Department (IMD) have been almost 100% accurate in recent times which is evident from the fact that the date of onset of monsoon over Kerala predicted by the Department was 5th June while the actual monsoon also began only a few hours later on 6th June.
The overall seasonal rainfall across the country as a whole, Dr Jitendra Singh said, is likely to be 87% of the normal. There is, for the time being, no indication of a drought like possibility and further data in this regard will be collected at the end of September,he added.
Earth Sciences Secretary Shailesh Nayak was also present at the press conference.
Follow our WhatsApp channel