India Weather Update: India Records Hottest August in Over A Century; Forecasts Below Normal Monsoon

India Weather Update: India just went through its hottest and driest August in 125 years. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has some bad news for September too, with predictions of below-normal rainfall

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El Nino

Scientists say a strong El Niño in the Pacific Ocean is the main culprit behind this weather shift. This August, India experienced its hottest and driest conditions in over a century, a stark contrast to the expected monsoon downpours. The trend of below-normal rainfall is expected to continue into September.

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August Temperature

This August, the country's average temperature hit 28.01°C, which is 0.67°C higher than normal. Even the nights were warmer, with the average minimum temperature setting a 125-year record at 24.36°C. We only got 213.3 mm of rain, a 16% shortfall. In fact, it was the 7th driest August since 2001. By the end of the month, the country's total rainfall deficit stood at 14%.

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IMD Warning

IMD's Director General, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, says a moderate to severe El Niño in the Pacific Ocean is causing these extreme changes. The Pacific's surface is getting warmer, and that's messing with our monsoon. Even though 4 low-pressure systems were active for 26 days in August, they only brought rain to the Indo-Gangetic plains. The rest of India was left high and dry.

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Heavy Rains

Don't expect heavy rains in September either. The IMD predicts that rainfall across the country will likely be less than 91% of the Long Period Average (LPA). The normal average for September, based on data from 1971-2020, is 167.9 mm. But officials say getting that much rain looks tough this time. Only some parts of Northwest, Northeast, and East-Central India might see normal showers.

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Weather Change

This sudden weather shift is a huge blow to our farmers. Agricultural experts warn that the yield and quality of Kharif crops will likely suffer. The area under cultivation for pulses, oilseeds, maize, rice, and cotton might also shrink. This makes it difficult to meet the government's food grain production target of 373.93 million tonnes for 2026-27. The IMD also says El Niño will get stronger until November-December, affecting our winter too.