Keralam may witness early summer-like conditions this year as rain deficit set to widen further

After three months of the southwest monsoon season, Keralam is now staring at a deficient season, with rainfall already 22% below normal as the four-month rainy season enters its final lap. The India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) monthly outlook has forecast below-normal rainfall for September, raising the prospect of the monsoon ending the season with a significant shortfall and paving the way for early summer-like conditions in the State.Private weather forecasting agency Skymet had earlier downgraded its monsoon forecast for the country to drought, projecting seasonal rainfall at 85% of the Long Period Average (LPA) and putting the probability of a drought at 70%.Speaking to The Hindu, Neetha K. Gopal, Director, IMD, Thiruvananthapuram, said Kerala had recorded a 22% rainfall defici