The country will experience normal monsoon this year, the India Meteorological Department said on Tuesday, in its forecast for the seasonal rainfall between June and September.

Overall, the country will witness 96% to 104% of the Long Period Average, or LPA rainfall, the weather department said. The LPA is a mean of the rainfall recorded in the country over a period of fifty years.

As far as the various regions are concerned, northwest India (92% to 108%) and the south peninsula (93%-107%) will receive normal rainfall in the four monsoon months, the forecast noted. Northeast India (less than 95%) will get “below normal” rainfall, while central India (more than 106%) is likely to receive “above normal” rains.

“Rainfall over the monsoon core zone, which consists of most of the the rain-fed agriculture regions in the country is most likely to be above normal (more than 106% of LPA),” the weather department said.

On Sunday, the weather department had said that the arrival of the monsoon in Kerala is likely to be delayed and is now expected on June 3. The onset of the monsoon over Kerala is declared when 14 or more meteorological stations in the state record rainfall of 2.5 mm or more for two consecutive days any time after May 10.

“The southwesterly winds have strengthened, resulting in likely enhancement in rainfall activity over Kerala,” the weather department said on Tuesday. “Hence the monsoon onset over Kerala is likely to take place around June 3.”

The winds are expected to result in widespread rainfall over the northeastern states during the next five days, the department added.