India got 8% more monsoon rainfall this year, says IMD, Pg12

Key Highlights:

• India received 8% more monsoon rainfall than normal this year, ranking as the fifth-highest since 2001 and the 38th highest since 1901.
• The southwest monsoon boosted reservoir storage benefiting agriculture but caused havoc in North India, leading to loss of life and property.
• Northwest India, central India, and the south peninsula received 27%, 15%, and 10% more rainfall than their seasonal averages, respectively.
• Rainfall in eastern and northeastern India was 80% of the usual amount, with northwest India receiving 74.79 cm, the highest since 2001.
• The monsoon advanced over the Andaman Sea on May 13, 2025, and arrived in Kerala on May 24, covering the entire country by June 29.

Detailed Insights:

• The IMD calculates monsoon data based on rainfall from June 1 to September 30, with the overall monsoon rainfall recorded at 93.7 cm.
• Extremely heavy spells occurred in northern and southern India due to the convergence of storms from the Mediterranean region and the monsoon trough.
• There were seven monsoon depressions during the season, one of which intensified into a deep depression, lasting an average of 69 days.
• The IMD forecasts above-normal rain in the country for October, except for parts of north and northwest India, even though the monsoon system hasn't fully withdrawn.
• A La Nina is expected to form in the central equatorial Pacific Ocean, which typically indicates a stronger winter, but the IMD suggests this isn't always the case.

Key Concepts Involved:

• Monsoon Trough: A low-pressure area that persists over the Gangetic plains during the monsoon season, attracting moisture and causing rainfall.
• La Nina: A climate pattern characterized by cooler-than-average sea surface temperatures in the central and eastern tropical Pacific Ocean.
• Monsoon Depression: A low-pressure system that originates over the Bay of Bengal or the Arabian Sea and brings widespread rainfall.