In a recast mode, the Indian Met dept will soon dole out critical inputs which will determine the performance of key sectors. Prabha Jagannathan checks out the all-new weather man JUNE is perhaps the most gruelling month for people above the Vindhyas. It is that time of the year when the sun scorches right above the head, dry westerlies sweep the mainland, days boil and nights swelter. The parched land, and souls, look up to the rain god for relief. And then, suddenly, the attention shifts to the activities down the Vindhyas (read the India Meteorological Department predictions). This year is no different. As the Met department forecast on the arrival of monsoon over Kerala missed the deadline of May 29, both expectations and apprehensions have started rising. But this is not to raise an alarm as yet. With a model error of plus or minus four days, the monsoon could well enter the Indian landmass by June 2. There's a strong possibility of that happening, as well. Already, with the strengthening and deepening of the monsoon winds and widespread rainfall, the monsoon has entered the waters surrounding the country. But it's not this accurate, always. Sometimes, a downpour can lead to an uproar. And then it never rains, it just pours. For the Indian Met department, which has the onerous task of tracking the vagaries of weather, monsoon reading is a hazardous job. A wrong forecast not only fuels tempers but can cast a cloud on agricultural growth. And, rain gods forbid, when this happens in inflationary times as now, it can trigger a cloudburst of rage