New Delhi: The Indian Meteorological Department (IMD) has forecast a wetter-than-usual September, warning that intense spells of rain could trigger flash floods, landslides, and even cloudburst-like events in Uttarakhand, Himachal Pradesh, and Jammu-Kashmir.
The weather department said the month’s rainfall is expected to exceed 109 per cent of the long-term average, extending a monsoon season already marked by extreme weather events.
Addressing an online briefing late last week, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra cautioned that heavy rainfall could trigger flash floods and landslides in Uttarakhand, and potentially affect downstream areas in Delhi, south Haryana, and north Rajasthan. He also warned of heavy rain in the upper catchment areas of the Mahanadi river in Chhattisgarh.
On the prediction of cloudburst events, Mohapatra explained that even “mini cloudbursts” -- rainfall of around 5 cm (50 mm) per hour -- can cause landslides and mudslides in hilly regions. “It isn’t always necessary for rainfall to cross 100 mm per hour to qualify as a cloudburst. Smaller events can also be devastating,” he said.
The IMD chief also highlighted how heavy rainfall in the catchment areas of Himachal Pradesh and Jammu-Kashmir had led to floods in Punjab, damaging nearly three lakh acres of standing crops. While early warning systems have improved significantly through radars, satellites and modelling, he said such extreme rainfall continues to cause “devastation in the Himalayan region.”
Data showed that rainfall during July was 4.8 per cent above normal, while August saw 5.2 per cent above normal rainfall, ending the month with 6.1 per cent excess overall. Though central India remains deficient, northwestern and southern India witnessed high rainfall in August.
IMD said India received 268 mm of rainfall in August, less than in some previous years, but still destructive in terms of damages. Extreme rainfall frequency has been higher in the past two years, officials noted.
Mohapatra said the monsoon is not expected to withdraw in September. “There is no possibility of withdrawal in the next two weeks. The normal withdrawal will now be in October,” he said, adding that revised dates for withdrawal have been issued.
