India records 8% surplus rainfall, Northwest region sees highest since 2001

The four-month monsoon season came to an end on Tuesday with the country recording eight per cent more than normal rainfall, the India Meteorological Department said.

IMD chief Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said that the country saw a "very successful" monsoon season though it was marked by many disasters, including cloudburst, landslides and mudslides.

India recorded 937.2 mm of rainfall against the normal of 868.6 mm in the entire four-month monsoon season, a surplus of 8 per cent.

East and northeast India recorded 1089.9 mm of rainfall, 20 per cent below the normal of 1367.3 mm.

Bihar, Arunachal Pradesh, Assam and Meghalaya saw deficient rainfall in three of the four monsoon months, Mohapatra said.

"Rainfall over east and northeast India this monsoon season was the second lowest since 1901. The lowest rainfall (1065.7 mm) in the monsoon season in the region was recorded in 2013," Mohapatra said during an online press conference.

"Rainfall over east and northeast India has been deficient in many years in recent times. There is a trend (which shows) that rainfall over this region is decreasing since 2020. Studies also show that rainfall over east and northeast India has decreased in the last 20 years," he said.

Northwest India received 747.9 mm, 27.3 per cent more than the normal of 587.6 mm.

Mohapatra said this was the highest since 2001 and the sixth highest since 1901.

All districts in northwest India recorded above-normal rainfall in June, August and September, he said.

Central India recorded 1125.3 mm of rainfall, 15.1 per cent higher than the normal of 978 mm, while the southern peninsula gauged 9.9 per cent more rainfall than the normal of 716.2 mm.

Meanwhile, most parts of India, barring some areas in northwest region, expected to receive above normal rainfall from October to December, the IMD stated.