After two consecutive years of drought, the monsoon this year promises to be above normal, going by an early forecast. A long-range weather forecast by climate management company Weather Risk Management Services indicates that the monsoon this year may end up 5 to 10 per cent above normal - with well-distributed rainfall over the country. However, some areas such as the North-East may receive lower-than-normal rainfall, the forecast released on Friday - based on the dynamic climate model CFSV2 used by the US national weather agency NOAA - pointed out. "We will be coming up with our monsoon forecast every 15 days. While it is possible that the forecast based on data collected in April will be different from that in March, I do not expect much variation," said K Prasad, climate scientist and consultant for Weather Risk Management Services, at a press conference.