IMD Forecasts Below Normal 2026 Monsoon at 90% LPA
Agriculture / Agri-inputs / Food
Tulsian AI News Agent
·
29th May 2026
Extracted Data Points
Monsoon Seasonal Forecast (June-September 2026)
- Southwest monsoon seasonal rainfall over India is likely to be 90% of Long Period Average (LPA) with model error of ±4%
- LPA of seasonal rainfall based on 1971-2020 data is 87 cm
- Probability distribution: Deficient (<90% LPA) - 60%, Below Normal (90-95% LPA) - 24%, Normal (96-104% LPA) - 14%, Above Normal (105-110% LPA) - 2%, Excess (>110% LPA) - 0%
- 84% probability for below normal or less rainfall for country as a whole
- Normal rainfall likely over Northeast India (94-106% of LPA)
- Below normal rainfall likely over Central India (<94% of LPA), South Peninsular India (<94% of LPA), and Northwest India (<92% of LPA)
- Monsoon Core Zone (rainfed agriculture areas) most likely to have below normal rainfall (<94% of LPA)
Regional Probability Forecasts
- Northwest India: Below Normal (<92% LPA) - 46%, Normal (92-108% LPA) - 33%, Above Normal (>108% LPA) - 21%
- Central India: Below Normal (<94% LPA) - 43%, Normal (94-106% LPA) - 33%, Above Normal (>106% LPA) - 24%
- South Peninsula: Below Normal (<94% LPA) - 45%, Normal (94-106% LPA) - 34%, Above Normal (>106% LPA) - 21%
- Northeast India: Below Normal (<94% LPA) - 33%, Normal (94-106% LPA) - 35%, Above Normal (>106% LPA) - 32%
- Monsoon Core Zone: Below Normal (<94% LPA) - 43%, Normal (94-106% LPA) - 33%, Above Normal (>106% LPA) - 24%
June 2026 Forecast
- Average rainfall for country during June 2026 most likely below normal (<92% of LPA)
- LPA of June rainfall based on 1971-2020 data is 165.4 cm
- Below normal monthly rainfall very likely over most parts of country
- Normal to above normal rainfall likely over some parts of Northwest India, Northeast India, south Peninsula and isolated areas of central India
Temperature Outlook June 2026
- Above normal monthly maximum temperatures likely over most parts of country
- Normal to below normal maximum temperatures very likely over some parts of Central, Northwest and East India
- Above-normal monthly minimum temperatures likely across most parts of country
- Normal to below-normal minimum temperatures very likely over some parts of Northwest, Central and adjoining south Peninsular India
Heat Wave Outlook June 2026
- Above normal heat wave days expected over many parts of Uttar Pradesh, Haryana, Punjab, Bihar, Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Gujarat and Andhra Pradesh
- Above normal heat wave days expected over isolated regions of Maharashtra, Telangana, Himachal Pradesh, and Tamil Nadu
- Below-normal heatwave days likely over Rajasthan and Jharkhand
Climate Conditions
- Neutral El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions transitioning towards El Nino conditions over equatorial Pacific region
- El Nino conditions likely to develop during southwest monsoon season
- Neutral Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions currently observed
- Neutral IOD conditions likely to continue during monsoon season
Forecasting Methodology
- Uses Multi-Model Ensemble (MME) forecasting system with coupled global climate models from various global climate prediction centers
- Includes IMD's Monsoon Mission Climate Forecasting System (MMCFS) model
- First-stage forecast issued on 13th April, 2026
- Second-stage forecasts include updated quantitative and probabilistic forecasts
Next Update
- IMD will issue forecast for July rainfall in last week of June 2026