India received second highest rainfall in May in 121 years: IMD
It also said that at 34.18 degrees Celsius, the average maximum temperature over India this May was the fourth lowest since 1901.
FollowIndia as a whole received the second highest monthly rainfall for the month of May in the last 121 years since 1901. There were no major heat wave conditions and the fourth lowest average monthly maximum temperature for the month of May during 1901 to 2021, which was also the lowest in the last 44 years after 1977.
It also said that at 34.18 degrees Celsius, the average maximum temperature over India this May was the fourth lowest since 1901.
The lowest ever temperature recorded for May was 32.68 degrees Celsius in 1917. The temperature was lowest since 1977 when it was of 33.84 degrees Celsius, the IMD said.
Characteristics of Monthly Rainfall: Rainfall across India was the second highest since 1901. National rainfall in May 2021 was 107.9 mm, 74% higher than the long-term average (LPA) of 62 mm. India’s rainfall in May was the second highest since 1901.
The reasons for absence of any major spells of heat wave in the month over India included regular occurrence of wet spells at regular intervals and due to the rainfall caused under the influence of the two cyclones; Tauktae and Yaas during the second half of May.
The Western Disturbance (WD) activity in the month of May 2021 was higher than normal as a total of eight WD moved across Western Himalayan Region against the normal of four to five WDs. In May 2021, all six active WDs caused fairly widespread rainfall/thunderstorms activity over Western Himalayan Region. In all three months of this summer of 2021, frequencies of WD activities over north India were higher than normal. In March, April and May 2021, it was 7,9 and 8 respectively against a normal of 4-6 WDs.
"Rainfall over India during the month of May was second-highest since 1901. The ever highest rainfall occurred in the year 1990 (110.7mm)," the IMD said in its monthly report for May. May saw the formation of a cyclone each in the Arabian Sea and the Bay of Bengal. Tauktae formed over the Arabian Sea and developed into an 'extremely severe cyclonic storm'.
It hit the Gujarat coast on May 17 after battering states along the western coast. Cyclone 'Yaas' developed over the Bay of Bengal and intensified into a 'very severe cyclonic storm'. It hit the Odisha coast on May 26 and also affected West Bengal. These two systems brought rainfall not only over the states along the western and eastern coasts but also to other parts of the country.
For instance, as Cyclone 'Tauktae' weakened, it headed towards north India and brought rains over several parts of north India.
Similarly, 'Yaas' brought rains over east India including Jharkhand, Bihar as it weakened. The IMD said that in all three months of the summer of 2021, frequencies of western disturbance activities over north India were higher than normal.
The observed average maximum, average minimum and mean temperature for the country as a whole during May 2021 are 34.18ºC, 24.17ºC and 29.17ºC respectively, against the normal of 35.17ºC, 24.32ºC and 29.74ºC based on period 1981-2010. Thus, the average maximum, average minimum and mean temperature for the country as a whole were below/near normal by 0.99ºC, 0.15ºC and 0.57ºC respectively. The average maximum temperature
over India during May 2021 is fourth lowest at 34.18 ºC since 1901 with the lowest ever temperature recorded in 1917 when it was 32.68 ºC. The average minimum temperature of May is also the lowest in the last 44 years after 1977 when it was 33.84 ºC.
It shows the maximum temperatures were above normal in almost most parts of India except Kashmir, northeastern states and Saurashtra and Kutch areas and parts of Tamilnadu where it was 1-2 ºC below normal. The maximum temperatures were 2 to 5ºC above normal over central and northern plains of India and central parts of Peninsular India.
IMD has projected that considering the month as whole, the rainfall activity in June is likely to be normal to above normal over central India and adjoining Peninsula and north India during June 2021.
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