Visakhapatnam:India Meteorological Department (IMD) has released its seasonal outlook for winter 2024–2025, predicting above normal temperatures and significant rainfall across various regions of the country.
The forecast covers the period from December 2024 to February 2025, with specific details for December.
IMD anticipates that minimum temperatures will be above normal across most parts of India during the upcoming winter season. Similarly, maximum temperatures are expected to be above normal in most regions, with the exception of southern peninsular India, where they may remain at normal to below normal levels.
Notably, cold wave days are projected to be below normal in northwest, central, east and northeastern regions throughout the winter.
December 2024 is expected to witness above normal rainfall, particularly in Tamil Nadu, Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh and Kerala. Rainfall is predicted to exceed 131 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA) for this region. Overall, the country is likely to see rainfall greater than 121 per cent of its LPA during December. In contrast, northern and northwestern parts of India may experience normal to below normal rainfall levels.
IMD’s forecast has been influenced by the current sea surface temperature conditions in both the Pacific and Indian oceans. IMD reports neutral El Niño-Southern Oscillation (ENSO) conditions in the Pacific, with a potential shift towards La Niña conditions as winter progresses. Additionally, neutral Indian Ocean Dipole (IOD) conditions are expected to persist for several months.
