India Experiences Wettest August In 44 Years

New Delhi: With heavy rainfall and floods ravaging states like Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh, India experienced its wettest August since 1976.

Between August 1 and 30 this year, the amount of rainfall recorded in the country was 317.4 mm. Compared to the standard normal of 251.3 mm, August 2020 has seen a 26.3 per cent surplus.

According to data provided by India Meteorological Department (IMD), only five times in the last 50 years has the country’s August rainfall been 20 per cent above normal – in 1970 (26 per cent), 1973 (27.8 per cent), 1975 (21 per cent), 1976 (28.4 per cent) and 1983 (23.8 per cent).

The season’s rainfall in India is 10 per cent above normal so far. Considering that the month of July recorded 9 per cent short of normal rainfall, this is a remarkable figure.

Heavy rain in the last three-four recent weeks have resulted in floods in Bihar, Assam, Odisha, Chhattisgarh and Madhya Pradesh.

“Since August 5, there were multiple low pressure systems formed in the Bay of Bengal, which kept the Southwest monsoon in active to vigorous phase. Heavy to very heavy rain was reported across Central India, which is a fairly large area,” an official from Regional Meteorological Centre, Delhi, was quoted as saying.