August 2021 was third hottest in 120 yrs: IMD

August 2021 was third hottest in 120 yrs: IMD

TIMES NEWS NETWORK

New Delhi:11.09.2021

A huge rainfall deficit ensured August 2021 was the third hottest August in the country in the past 120 years but it was also marked by the Ridge area in the capital breaking its 24 hour rainfall record for the month.

As far as temperature was concerned, the monthly average maximum, average minimum and mean temperature over all India for the month of August during 1901-2021 shows the average ‘maximum temperature’ over all India was third highest (31.75 degree C) and average ‘minimum temperature’ was eighth highest (24.39 degree C) while the ‘mean temperature’ over all India was third highest (28.07 degree C) since 1901, making it the third hottest August.

“The observed average maximum, average minimum and mean temperature for the country as a whole during August 2021 are 31.75 degree C, 24.39 degree C and 28.07 degree C respectively, against the normal of 31.09 degree C, 24.01 degree C and 27.55 degree C based on period 1981-2010,” said the India Meteorological Department’s (IMD) weather analysis for August.

The overall rainfall deficit (24% below long period average) had led it to be the lowest August rainfall in the country in the last 12 years (after 2009).

So far during period 1901-2021, August 2021 was the 6th lowest after 1920 (32.5% below LPA), 2005 (28.4% below LPA), 2009 (26.5% below LPA),1913 (25.6% below LPA), and 1930 and 1993 when it had 25.2% below LPA.

Only 28 stations reported extremely heavy rainfall

The IMD said certain stations recorded ‘very heavy’ to ‘extremely heavy’ rainfall with six of them including Delhi Ridge, Car Nicobar, Aizwal, Bundi, Thanjavur and Shivpuri reporting their 24-hour respective record rainfall in August.

“There were only 28 stations which reported extremely heavy rainfall”, said the IMD in its analysis. There are over 4,000 rainfall recording stations in the country. Referring to the impact of weather events in August, the IMD noted that a total 121 persons lost their lives while 28 persons got injured during the month.