IMD: Normal monsoon; deficient rains in June

NEW DELHI: Barring the northwestern region including Rajasthan. Haryana and Punjab, rest of India is set to receive normal rainfall this monsoon season despite the El Nino phenomenon which is set to return after a three-year hiatus, the weather office said on Friday.

However, most parts of the country will witness deficient showers in June, except some pockets in peninsular regions such as south Karnataka and northern Tamil Nadu, Rajasthan and Ladakh, the India Meteorological Department said in its update of the long range forecast for the season.