New Delhi: The monsoon season is expected to be normal in the coming weeks and there is no need to be alarmed, Union Minister Jitendra Singh said on Sunday.

“The deficiency of [the] monsoon in the first six weeks was 43 per cent. It has now gone down to 32 per cent. So, monsoon has increased by 11 per cent.

“In coming weeks, especially in central as well as north-east India, the forecast is that monsoon will be normal. We want to send a message to our countrymen that this is a good news and there is no need to become alarmist,” Singh, the minister of State for Earth Science, told reporters here.

In July, the country is likely to receive rainfall of 93 per cent of the Long Range Forecast (LPA), and “rainfall of 96 per cent of the LPA is expected in August,” said Shailesh Nayak, secretary in the Ministry of Earth Science (MoES).

Nayak, however, added that they would “also have to see the rainfall in the next few days of the month”. The MeT department has already said that India would experience a deficient monsoon this year.

According to the Indian Meteorological Department, 96-104 per cent of the LPA means normal rainfall whereas 90-96 makes for below normal monsoon showers. Monsoon rainfall was deficient in June, but has picked up in July.

“The rainfall looks good for the next three weeks till August 15. There is formation of a depression, which will bring good rainfall,” Nayak added.

Meanwhile, monsoon showers continued to lash several parts of north India as temperature hovered around normal levels in the region.

It was, however, a hot and humid Sunday in the national capital as rains eluded most parts of the city.

The minimum temperature in Delhi was 28.1 Celsius, a notch above the season’s average. The maximum was 37.4 Celsius.

Humidity levels fluctuated between 79 and 51 per cent even as the Palam area recorded 3.8 mm of rainfall.

Even though several areas in Himachal Pradesh, including the state capital Shimla, experienced moderate to heavy rains, the rain deficit further increased from 36 to 37 per cent.

Pabbar River in Rohroo area was in spate and people living along the banks were asked to shift to safer places.

Kasauli was wettest in the state with 53mm of rainfall while Mandi received 45mm of rainfall, followed by Shimla, Kotkhai (37mm), Rohru, Chelsea (33mm), Annu (31mm), Sainj (28mm), Bijahi, Kumarsain (20mm), Jubbarhatti, Chail (17mm) and Manali (16mm).