NewsIndiaEast and northeast India recorded warmest July in 122 years

East and northeast India recorded warmest July in 122 years

NEW DELHI: East and northeast India, which received low rainfall last month, also experienced its warmest July in 122 years, according to a monthly climate report by India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday. The report, which underlined that the two regions recorded the highest mean, minimum and maximum temperatures for July in 122 years, showed that the severe and prolonged dry conditions through July also led to extreme heat.

The dry and warm temperatures in the east and northeastern region come on the back of June when two northeastern states, Assam and Meghalaya recorded the highest June rainfall in 122 years with 858.1mm, breaking the earlier record of 789.5mm recorded in 1966.

In July, the average maximum temperature over the region was 33.75 degrees Celsius (°C), 2.30 degrees above normal; the average minimum was 25.40°C, 0.99 degrees above normal and mean temperature of 29.57°C, 1.64 degrees above normal.

The average minimum temperature over northwest India was the third highest since 1901, according to the report. The minimum temperature was 24.3°C over northwest India last month compared to a normal of 23.56°C.

Rainfall for the country as a whole for July was 327.7mm, 17% more than the long period average making it the second highest since 2001 after 2005, the report said. Rainfall over South Peninsula was second highest since 1901 after the year 1961 and rainfall over central India was fifth highest since 1901 after 1944, 1932, 1942 and 1956. Around 12 meteorological stations recorded the highest ever rainfall in July including Pauri, Pathankot, Srinagar and Bhilwara.

The IMD’s report also captures the pattern of uneven rainfall in July which affected the paddy belt in east and northeast India. HT reported on August 1 that highly uneven rainfall in the southwest monsoon is impacting the cultivation of paddy and other crops, particularly in the Gangetic plains of Uttar Pradesh, Bihar, Jharkhand and West Bengal, although monsoon rain was 8% more than normal across the country since June 1.

As of August 5, rainfall deficiency remains very high for the east and northeast region. Monsoon rain is 6% excess over the country; 35% excess over peninsular India; 10% excess over central India and 2% excess over northwest India. But it was 15% deficient over east and northeast India; Gangetic West Bengal recorded a deficiency of 46%; Jharkhand 47%; Bihar 33%; West Uttar Pradesh 41% and east Uttar Pradesh 44%.

“The temperatures over east and northeast India were the highest since record keeping because of the large deficiency in rainfall over the region. There were no clouds. Rainfall was the lowest over the region because the monsoon trough remained south of its normal position for most of July bringing a lot of rain over central India and west coast but no weather systems formed over east and northeast India which could bring rain during the entire month,” explained OP Sreejith, head, climate monitoring and prediction group, IMD, Pune.

IMD’s long-term data shows monsoon rain has been declining over east and northeast India since 2007 onwards. “We are seeing significant changes to monsoon patterns due to climate change. For example, now the western part of the country is receiving more or above normal rains while northeast and east are recording deficient rains in the past few decades… There is also a reduction in low to moderate rainfall days and an increase in heavy and extreme rainfall days. Several scientific studies have documented these trends,” Pulak Guhathakurta, head of the climate division in IMD Pune said in July.

Source: Hindustan Times

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