Monsoon likely be normal this year in India, marking a hat-trick: Skymet

The last time India had three consecutive years of normal monsoon was in between 1996 to 1998, according to private agency.

India is likely to get normal southwest monsoon rains this year, private weather forecasting agency Skymet said on Tuesday, raising prospects of bumper farm growth in the country.

Monsoon rains are expected to be 103 per cent of long-period average (LPA) of 880.6 millimetres (mm) for the four-month period from June to September. The forecast is with an error margin of plus/minus 5 per cent of LPA. 

If the forecast comes true, the actual rainfall in the country could be around 907 mm. 

This could also mean that for the third consecutive year, India will have a normal to above-normal rainfall during the