The upcoming monsoon in the country will most likely be normal in 2021, the India Meteorological Department said in its Long Range Forecast on Friday.

“Quantitatively, the monsoon seasonal (June to September) rainfall is likely to be 98% of the Long Period Average with a model error of ± 5%,” the weather office added.

The Long Period Average is the average rainfall recorded over the country for the period ranging from 1961 to 2010, which is 88 centimetres. Rainfall between 96% and 104% of the Long Period Average is considered to be in the “normal range”.

This will be the third consecutive year of “normal” or “above normal” rainfall in the country. Private weather forecasting agency Skymet had also forecast on Tuesday that the June-September rain was likely to be 103% of the long-term average, Bloomberg reported.

The India Meteorological Department said that it will issue updated forecasts in the last week of May. “In addition to update for the April forecast, forecasts for monsoon season (June-September) rainfall for four homogenous regions and forecast for the month of June also will be issued,” it added.

Ministry of Earth Sciences Secretary M Rajeevan described the forecast “as really good news”, PTI reported. “It will help India have a good agriculture output,” he said.