Monsoon cheers for Odisha

BHUBANESWAR: Even as national weather forecaster predicted a normal monsoon for the entire country, Odisha has reasons to cheer. The State is expected to get good showers this season which will bring relief to the farm sector. Going by models, the State is likely to get excess rainfall during June while during the next three months, the showers would be normal with variation in distribution over different districts.

The India Meteorological Department said that neutral Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions are prevailing over the Indian Ocean at present. Models indicate it turn weak negative during middle of the monsoon season which augurs well for the eastern coast of the country. A weak negative IOD mean warmer sea surface over Bay of Bengal area inducing good showers over Odisha and other coastal pockets of central and eastern India.

Latest forecasts indicate that conditions over the Pacific Ocean will turn to neutral El Nino Southern Oscillation before the beginning of monsoon season which will help a normal year of rains. Odisha receives about 1150 mm rain during a year.