More than 1,500 fatalities linked to severe weather, with October expected to see above-normal rainfall.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has reported that India experienced its fifth wettest monsoon season since 2001, recording a total rainfall of 937.2 mm from June to September. This figure represents an 8% increase above the average rainfall for the period. The extreme weather during this monsoon season led to the tragic loss of at least 1,528 lives, according to reports from PTI.
Floods and heavy rains were responsible for 935 deaths, while thunderstorms and lightning accounted for 570 fatalities. Madhya Pradesh was the hardest-hit state, with a total of 290 deaths. Among these, 153 fatalities were attributed to flooding and heavy rainfall, while 135 were caused by lightning strikes. Following Madhya Pradesh, Uttar Pradesh recorded 201 deaths, and Himachal Pradesh saw 141 fatalities. Jammu and Kashmir reported 139 deaths due to extreme weather, while Maharashtra experienced 135 casualties.
The nature of the extreme weather events varied across different regions of the country. The Himalayan states encountered flash floods and landslides, whereas states such as Bihar, Jharkhand, and Uttar Pradesh reported a higher incidence of deaths related to lightning. This highlights the regional disparities in the impacts of the monsoon season.
Although the southwest monsoon officially concluded on Tuesday, the IMD has issued a warning for October, predicting 15% above-normal rainfall. Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, the director general of the IMD, indicated that the withdrawal of the monsoon from central and eastern India is likely to be delayed, suggesting that it may not be completed before October 12. The agency also forecasts that much of the country will experience normal to below-normal maximum temperatures in October, with the exception of the northeast, where temperatures are expected to be above normal. Minimum temperatures are predicted to remain higher than usual due to the presence of cloudy skies.
In recent developments, heavy rain has been reported in Odisha, attributed to a depression in the Bay of Bengal that has intensified into a deep depression moving towards the coast. The state government has responded proactively by deploying teams in vulnerable districts to address the situation effectively. The IMD has issued a heavy rain alert for all 30 districts in the state, emphasizing the need for preparedness in light of the ongoing weather challenges.
