Mint Quick Edit | Will heat deliver a torrential monsoon this year?
While many parts of India are reeling under a heatwave, it’s a matter of relief that monsoon rain prospects this year are bright. The country is expected to receive above-normal rainfall during the June-September rainy season, according to India Meteorological Department (IMD) chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra. By IMD’s measure, rainfall will be 106% of the long-period average, with a model error of 4%.
To be sure, Mohapatra’s statement only reiterates what the IMD had predicted earlier. But extreme heat conditions had led to questions if the forecast needed revision. Temperatures have soared to nearly 50° Celsius in parts of northwest India, with the mercury looking up for the next few days.
We can expect some easing after 30 May, according to the weather department. A hotter-than-usual landmass creates air vacuums that draw monsoon winds with even more suction force from above the seas. This time, another factor might be in play: a pivot in the Pacific Ocean from El Niño to La Niña.
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