NEW DELHI, Sep 30: The four-month monsoon season came to an end on Tuesday with the country recording eight per cent more than normal rainfall, the India Meteorological Department said.
IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that the country saw a “very successful” monsoon season though it was marked by many disasters, including cloudburst, landslides and mudslides.
India recorded 937.2 mm of rainfall against the normal of 868.6 mm in the entire four-month monsoon season, a surplus of 8 per cent.
East and northeast India recorded 1089.9 mm of rainfall, 20 per cent below the normal of 1367.3 mm.
Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya saw deficient rainfall in three of the four monsoon months, Mohapatra said.
“Rainfall over east and northeast India this monsoon season was the second lowest since 1901. The lowest rainfall (1065.7 mm) in the monsoon season in the region was recorded in 2013,” Mohapatra said during an online press conference.
“Rainfall over east and northeast India has been deficient in many years in recent times. There is a trend (which shows) that rainfall over this region is decreasing since 2020. Studies also show that rainfall over east and northeast India has decreased in the last 20 years,” he said.
Northwest India received 747.9 mm, 27.3 per cent more than the normal of 587.6 mm.
Mohapatra said this was the highest since 2001 and the sixth highest since 1901.
All districts in northwest India recorded above-normal rainfall in June, August and September, he said.Central India recorded 1125.3 mm of rainfall, 15.1 per cent higher than the normal of 978 mm, while the southern peninsula gauged 9.9 per cent more rainfall than the normal of 716.2 mm.
OVER 1500 KILLED IN INDIA
Extreme weather events during the June to September monsoon season claimed at least 1,528 lives across India, with Madhya Pradesh, Himachal Pradesh and Maharashtra among the worst-hit states, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Tuesday.The IMD gave these figures citing data from media reports.
Of the total deaths, 935 were caused by floods and heavy rains, while 570 people were killed in lightning and thunderstorms. Twenty-two deaths were linked to heat waves.Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest toll at 290, including 153 deaths due to floods and heavy rains and 135 from lightning.
Himachal Pradesh reported 141 fatalities, almost all of them caused by torrential rains that triggered flash floods and landslides. Jammu and Kashmir followed with 139 deaths, also largely rain-related.Maharashtra reported 135 deaths, primarily due to floods, while Bihar registered 62 deaths, all linked to lightning.
Uttar Pradesh was another badly-affected state with 201 fatalities, of which 112 were caused by lightning and 69 by heavy rains.
Jharkhand reported 129 deaths, with lightning accounting for the bulk at 95. Gujarat saw 31 deaths, Delhi three and Odisha 36.
The data shows a sharp regional variation in weather hazards. While Himalayan states like Himachal Pradesh and Jammu and Kashmir bore the brunt of floods and landslides, states in the Indo-Gangetic belt such as Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh saw a higher toll from lightning strikes.India received 937.2 mm of rain against the normal of 868.6 mm this monsoon season, a surplus of 8 per cent.East and northeast India recorded 1,089.9 mm rainfall, 20 per cent below the normal of 1,367.3 mm. Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya saw deficient rainfall in three of the four monsoon months. (PTI)
