1260 New Delhi, August 2 Rainfall during the second half of the June-September monsoon season is expected to be on the higher side of normal, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said today. The rain over the country during the second half (August and September) 2021 southwest monsoon season “is most likely to be normal (95 to 105% of Long Period Average) with a tendency to be on the positive side of the normal”, the weather office said. In August, rain is expected to be “normal to below normal over parts of northwest and central India”. “Monthly rainfall for August over the country is most likely to be normal (94 to 106% of the LPA). Spatial distribution suggests that below normal to normal rainfall is likely over many areas of central India and some areas over northwest India. Normal to above-normal rainfall is most likely over most parts of peninsular India and northeast India,” IMD Director General Mrutunjay Mohapatra said.