New Delhi: India is likely to receive above-normal rainfall in September, capping a season that has already seen several disasters triggered by heavy downpours in many parts of the country.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday that the monthly average rainfall in September is expected to be more than 109 per cent of the long-period average of 167.9 mm.
The forecast suggests most regions will get normal to above-normal rainfall, while some parts of the northeast and east, many areas of extreme south peninsular India, and pockets of northwest India are likely to record below-normal rain.
Addressing an online press conference, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra warned that heavy rainfall could trigger landslides and flash floods in Uttarakhand in September and potentially disrupt normal life in south Haryana, Delhi, and north Rajasthan.
“Many rivers originate in Uttarakhand. So, heavy rainfall means many rivers will be flooded, and it will impact cities and towns downstream. So, we should keep this in mind,” he said.
He added that heavy rainfall is also expected in the upper catchment areas of the Mahanadi river in Chhattisgarh.
Northwest India recorded 265 mm of rainfall in August, the highest for the month since 2001 and the 13th highest since 1901, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD).
The region has experienced above normal rainfall in all three months of the monsoon season so far.
Rainfall in June was 111 mm, 42% above normal, while July saw 237.4 mm, 13% above normal.
Rainfall in August stood at 265 mm against a normal of 197.1 mm, an excess of 34.5%, the IMD said.
Cumulatively, northwest India received 614.2 mm of rain between June 1 and August 31, about 27% higher than the normal of 484.9 mm.
The unusually high rainfall coincided with a series of extreme weather events.
Punjab suffered its worst flooding in decades, with swollen rivers and breached canals inundating thousands of hectares of farmland and displacing lakhs of people.
In the Himalayan states, intense rainfall and flash floods triggered landslides and caused widespread damage.
Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand reported washed-out bridges and roads, while Jammu and Kashmir witnessed repeated cloudbursts and landslides.
The IMD attributed the surplus rain to active monsoon conditions supported by frequent western disturbances that enhanced rainfall over the region.
South Peninsular India recorded 250.6 mm of rainfall in August, about 31% above normal, making it the third highest for the month since 2001, and the eighth highest since 1901, the IMD said.
Cumulatively, the region received 607.7 mm of rain between June 1 and August 31 against a normal of 556.2 mm, a surplus of 9.3%.
The entire country received 268.1 mm of rainfall in August, about 5% above normal, and 743.1 mm of rainfall in the three months of June to August, around 6% above normal.
