Scanty rains likely for next two weeks

PUNE: The central and western regions of the country are likely to receive below average monsoon rains over the next two weeks, according to some model forecast at the government-run India Meteorological Department, or IMD.

But a senior IMD official said this model has not been giving accurate forecast and therefore, higher rainfall is also possible.

“This model is showing that there will be subdued rainfall over the next two weeks over central and western regions, but there may be rains also,” AK Srivastava, Director at the National Climate Centre of IMD at Pune told FC. However, North-Eastern states, North-ern and Eastern UP, Bihar, and foothills of the Himalayas would get good rains, he said.

Srivastava said the farms and farmers need some respite from rains for the summer-sown crops to germinate from the ground. This subdued rain forecast should not be a cause of worry as of now.