India recorded July as warmest month ever for nighttime temperatures: IMD

IMD weather update: The record heat was accompanied by 'exceptionally heavy rainfall' in various states, including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Kerala, which led to significant flooding last month

The India Meteorological Department (IMD) announced on Thursday that India experienced its hottest July in terms of night-time temperatures and the second hottest July overall since 1901.
 

The record-heat was accompanied by ‘exceptionally heavy rainfall’ in various states, including Uttar Pradesh, Gujarat, and Kerala, which led to significant flooding last month. For the east and northeast regions of India, it was the warmest July on record in both mean and minimum temperatures.
 

IMD weather update: Rainfall above normal
 

The IMD predicts that rainfall during the latter part of the southwest monsoon season (August to September) will likely be above normal, exceeding 106 per cent of the long-period average (LPA). The LPA for this period, based on data from 1971 to 2020, is approximately 422.8 mm.
 

The IMD also predicted that most regions of the country will experience normal to above-normal rainfall in the second half of the monsoon season, with the exception of some northeastern areas, parts of east India, Ladakh, Saurashtra, Kutch, and a few isolated regions in central and peninsular India, where below-normal rainfall is expected.
 

In August, the country is expected to experience monthly rainfall ranging from 94 per cent to 106 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA), indicating a potential brief period of weak monsoon conditions. The LPA for August rainfall, based on data from 1971-2020, is 254.9 mm.

Mixed rainfall and temperature outlook
 

Rainfall is expected to be normal to above normal in many regions, with exceptions in the southern central and adjacent northern peninsular India, the northeast and neighbouring eastern regions, and parts of northwest and southern peninsular India, where below-normal rainfall is expected.
 

Regarding temperatures, above-normal maximum temperatures are predicted for most of the country, except for some areas in the Gangetic plains, central India, and the southeast coast, where temperatures are likely to be normal to below normal.
 

For minimum temperatures, most regions will likely see above-normal readings, with the exception of southeast Peninsular India, where temperatures are expected to be normal to below normal during August.