India likely to get normal southwest monsoon in 2019, says Skymet

Timeliness, spread, and distribution of the precipitation will be key factors

Private weather forecasting agency Skymet on Monday said the southwest monsoon this year had a 50 per cent chance of being “normal”. This early forecast was based on the data about weather patterns available till end-January, said Skymet Chief Executive Officer (CEO) Jatin Singh, adding that it would be updated in April when more data is available.

“Forecast made in early April is based on patterns observed till end-January. So, instead of waiting for April, we decided to release the forecast in February itself,” Singh said, when asked about the time of the forecast.

The state-run India Meteorological Department (IMD)