News Brief
Monsoon Fury: India Records 48 Per Cent Above-Normal Rainfall Last Week
Representative Image
India witnessed 48 per cent above-normal rainfall between 28 August and 3 September, with the India Meteorological Department (IMD) reporting 75.2 mm of rain against the normal of 49 mm, reported India Today.
Further, from 1 June to 3 September, the country recorded 780.8 mm of rainfall, exceeding the seasonal normal of 721.1 mm by 8 per cent.
The IMD attributed the surge to the monsoon trough shifting south of its usual path and extending into lower tropospheric levels, a sign of active monsoon conditions.
Normally, this trough stretches from the northeast Arabian Sea to the northwest Bay of Bengal.
Heavy rainfall has battered northern India, particularly Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand, Jammu and Kashmir, Punjab, and Haryana.
More than 300 people have died this season, while landslides and flash floods submerged villages and cut off key highways.
The devastation has destroyed crops worth thousands of crores, with several rivers flowing above danger levels.
Floods damaged crops across 1.71 lakh hectares, while 1,902 villages in 23 districts remain affected.
Punjab Minister Hardeep Singh Mundian said the disaster has impacted over 3.84 lakh residents.
The IMD has warned of more rain in north India over the next three days.
Isolated heavy showers are likely in Uttarakhand and Rajasthan from 4 to 8 September.
Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh may see continued rainfall until 10 September, while west and east Rajasthan are expected to receive heavy showers until 7 September.
