Northwest India records warmest June since 1901 amid nationwide rainfall deficit
Northwest India records warmest June since 1901 amid nationwide rainfall deficit
The northwest region of India experienced its warmest June since 1901, with an average temperature of 31.73 degrees Celsius, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reported on Monday. The monthly average maximum temperature reached 38.02 degrees Celsius, 1.96 degrees above normal, while the average minimum temperature was 25.44 degrees Celsius, 1.35 degrees above normal.
Additionally, India recorded below-normal rainfall in June, with an 11 per cent deficit, the highest in five years. The country received 147.2 mm of rainfall against a normal of 165.3 mm, marking the seventh-lowest June rainfall since 2001. June rainfall typically accounts for 15 per cent of the total 87 cm precipitation during the four-month monsoon season.
IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that northwest India saw a 33 per cent rainfall deficit. The monsoon, after an early onset over Kerala and the northeastern region on May 30, lost momentum and delayed rains in states such as West Bengal, Odisha, Jharkhand, Bihar, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, and Uttar Pradesh, exacerbating the heat wave in northwest India.
"The country recorded 16 days of below-normal rainfall activity from June 11 to June 27, leading to overall below-normal precipitation," Mohapatra was quoted as saying by news agency PTI.
Northwest India saw a 33 per cent rainfall deficit, central India 14 per cent, and east and northeast India 13 per cent. Only South India recorded surplus rains at 14 per cent above normal.
IMD data indicated that 12 per cent of the country's sub-divisional areas experienced excess to large excess rainfall, 38 per cent received normal rainfall, and 50 per cent saw deficient to large deficient rainfall. Historical data shows that in 20 out of the 25 years when June rainfall was below normal, July rainfall was normal or above normal. In 17 of those 25 years, the seasonal rainfall was normal or above normal.
The IMD had previously forecast above-normal rainfall during the monsoon season. Below-normal monsoon rainfall is expected in northeast India, normal in the northwest, and above-normal in central and south peninsular regions.
India's core monsoon zone, covering most rain-fed agricultural areas, is predicted to receive above-normal rainfall this season. The monsoon is crucial for India's agricultural landscape, with 52 percent of the net cultivated area depending on it.
Currently, El Nino conditions, which typically bring weaker monsoon winds and drier conditions to India, are prevailing. However, scientists predict that La Nina, which leads to plentiful rainfall, may set in by August-September.
Watch Live TV in English
Watch Live TV in Hindi