2019 was the 7th warmest year in India since 1901
The rise in average temperatures over India in 2019 was the lowest since 2016, according to a report from the India Meteorological Department (IMD). Nevertheless, the year that went by was the 7th warmest since record-keeping commenced in 1901. With very hot summer, very cold winter, extreme rainfall, and cyclones, 2019 for India was a year of extreme climates. The country witnessed temperatures 0.36°C higher than the average.
Pre-monsoon(March-May) and monsoon seasons (June-September) temperatures have been the main contributors to the rising average temperature in India. The IMD claimed that as many as 1,562 people fell prey to extreme weather conditions such as avalanches, floods, heat waves and thunderstorms.
Heavy rain and flood-related events alone claimed over 850 lives during the pre-monsoon, monsoon & post-monsoon seasons. While 306 people died in Bihar alone, 136 from Maharashtra, 107 from Uttar Pradesh, 88 from Kerala, 80 from Rajasthan and 43 from Karnataka lost their lives.
2019 was also characterised by unusually high rainfall, which was 9% over what is normal for a year — this was due to monsoon rains (June-September) being 10% over its normal, and the northeast monsoon rains being 9% over its normal.
The IMD report further said that last year witnessed as many as eight cyclonic storms over the Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal, flanking the Indian peninsula on either side. The Arabian Sea solely contributed to five out of these eight as compared to the usual one every year.
As of now, the five warmest years recorded by the IMD are 2016 (+0.71 degree Celsius), 2009 (+0.541 degree Celsius), 2017 (+0.539 degree Celsius), 2010 (+0.54 degree Celsius) and 2015 (+0.42 degree Celsius).
