More flash floods, landslides? IMD warns India set for wetter September; what’s causing record rainfall | India News – The Times of India
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More flash floods, landslides? IMD warns India set for wetter September; what’s causing record rainfall
India is likely to get more than normal rainfall in September. Rainfall in September is expected to be more than 109% of the long-period average of 167.9 mm. Most parts of the country will receive normal to above-normal rainfall. The unusually heavy rains have fuelled extreme weather events across several states. The IMD said the surplus rainfall was the result of active monsoon conditions, boosted by frequent western disturbances. of the India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday said that September rainfall has shown a slight rising trend since 1980, except for lean years such as 1986, 1991, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2015 and 2019, IMD director general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra said. He said Uttarakhand may face landslides and flash floods, while south Haryana, Delhi and north Rajasthan could also see major impacts. He further warned that heavy showers are also likely in the upper catchment areas of the Mahanadi River in Chhattisgarh.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Sunday said that rainfall in September is expected to be more than 109% of the long-period average of 167.9 mm.
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The forecast indicates that most parts of the country will receive normal to above-normal rainfall, although the northeast, east, several areas in the extreme south peninsula and pockets of northwest India could record below-normal rain.
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IMD director general Mrutyunjay Mohapatra cautioned that intense rainfall could lead to fresh disruptions. He said Uttarakhand may face landslides and flash floods, while south Haryana, Delhi and north Rajasthan could also see major impacts.
“Many rivers originate in Uttarakhand. So, heavy rainfall means many rivers will be flooded and it will impact cities and towns downstream. So, we should keep this in mind,” he said.
He further warned that heavy showers are also likely in the upper catchment areas of the Mahanadi River in Chhattisgarh.
Mohapatra noted that September rainfall has shown a slight rising trend since 1980, except for lean years such as 1986, 1991, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2015 and 2019.
Alongside the rain forecast, the IMD said September temperatures will vary across regions. Maximum temperatures are expected to stay normal to below normal in many parts of west-central, northwest and south India, while they could be above normal in east-central, east, northeast India, parts of northwest India and the western coast.
Between June 1 and August 31, India received 743.1 mm of rainfall, around 6% higher than the long-period average of 700.7 mm.
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June saw 180 mm of rain, nearly 9% above normal, followed by July with 294.1 mm, 5% above average. August recorded 268.1 mm, about 5.2% above normal.
Northwest India had an unusually wet August, with 265 mm of rainfall, the highest for the month since 2001 and the 13th highest since 1901. Cumulatively, the region logged 614.2 mm of rain from June to August, 27% higher than the normal 484.9 mm.
South Peninsular India also saw heavy rainfall in August, receiving 250.6 mm, 31% above normal, making it the third highest August total since 2001 and the eighth highest since 1901.
Overall, the region registered 607.7 mm between June and August, a surplus of 9.3%.
The unusually heavy rains have fuelled extreme weather events across several states. Punjab saw its worst floods in decades, with overflowing rivers and breached canals inundating vast stretches of farmland and displacing lakhs of people. In Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, cloudbursts and flash floods triggered landslides and caused extensive loss of life and property.
The IMD said the surplus rainfall was the result of active monsoon conditions, boosted by frequent western disturbances. Mohapatra explained that disturbances between July 28 and August 14 brought heavy to very heavy rainfall to the western Himalayas and nearby plains, including a flash flood and landslide in Uttarkashi on August 5 and riverine floods in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
He added that a rapid revival of the monsoon after August 14, sustained by four low-pressure systems over 15 days, prolonged active rainfall across large areas.
According to Mohapatra, northwest India and adjoining Himalayan states faced “extremely and exceptionally heavy rainfall events” between August 21 and 27. He said this included very heavy rain over east Rajasthan from August 22 to 24, over Punjab and Haryana between August 23 and 26, and severe flooding and landslides in Jammu and Kashmir from August 23 to 27.
Other intense spells were recorded in Konkan and the ghats of Madhya Maharashtra on August 20, east Rajasthan on August 23, Jammu on August 27 and Telangana on August 28.
Mohapatra said these events were driven by “the slow movement of two successive very active western disturbances, interaction with remnants of monsoonal low-pressure systems, strong southerly winds with moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea and formation of two low-pressure systems over north Bay of Bengal and their movement across central India”.
IMD forecasts wetter September, warns of flash floods, landslides
India is likely to experience above-average rainfall in September, according to the India Meteorological Department. The IMD forecast that September 2025’s rainfall will exceed 109 per cent of the long-period average (LPA) of 167.9 mm. pockets in the northeast and east, the extreme southern peninsular region, and some parts of northwest India are expected to fall below average.
In a statement released Sunday, the IMD forecast that September 2025’s rainfall will exceed 109 per cent of the long-period average (LPA) of 167.9 mm, continuing a season that has already delivered higher-than-normal precipitation across much of the country.
The monsoon outlook suggests that most areas will receive normal to above-normal rainfall this month. However, pockets in the northeast and east, the extreme southern peninsular region, and some parts of northwest India are expected to fall below average in terms of rainfall.
During an online briefing, IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra highlighted that intense rain may lead to landslides and flash floods in Uttarakhand, while also disrupting life in south Haryana, Delhi, and north Rajasthan.
“Many rivers originate in Uttarakhand. So, heavy rainfall means many rivers will be flooded and it will impact cities and towns downstream. So, we should keep this in mind,” he said.
He also warned that heavy rain is anticipated in the upper catchment of the Mahanadi River in Chhattisgarh, potentially affecting downstream regions.
India set for wetter September; IMD warns of flash floods, landslides
India is likely to receive above-normal rainfall in September, capping a season that has already seen several disasters triggered by heavy downpours. Heavy rainfall may trigger landslides and flash floods in Uttarakhand in September and could disrupt normal life in south Haryana, Delhi and north Rajasthan. India received 743.1 mm of rainfall between June 1 and August 31, about 6 per cent above the long-period average of 700.7 mm, IMD data show. The IMD attributed the surplus rain to active monsoon conditions supported by frequent western disturbances that enhanced rainfall over the region. The region has experienced above normal rainfall in all three months of the monsoon season so far, the IMD said. The unusually high rainfall coincided with a series of extreme weather events in August, with swollen rivers and breached canals inundating thousands of hectares of farmland and displacing lakhs of people in Punjab, Uttar Pradesh and Bihar. The Indian Meteorological Department said there is a slight increasing trend in September rainfall since 1980, barring less rainfall in the month in 1986, 1991, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2015 and 2019.
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India is likely to receive above-normal rainfall in September, capping a season that has already seen several disasters triggered by heavy downpours in many parts of the country.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday that the monthly average rainfall in September 2025 is expected to be more than 109 per cent of the long-period average of 167.9 mm.
The forecast suggests most regions will get normal to above-normal rainfall, while some parts of the northeast and east, many areas of extreme south peninsular India and pockets of northwest India are likely to record below-normal rain.
IMD Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra warned that heavy rainfall may trigger landslides and flash floods in Uttarakhand in September and could disrupt normal life in south Haryana, Delhi and north Rajasthan.
“Many rivers originate in Uttarakhand. So, heavy rainfall means many rivers will be flooded and it will impact cities and towns downstream. So, we should keep this in mind,” he said.
He added that heavy rainfall is also expected in the upper catchment areas of the Mahanadi River in Chhattisgarh.
Mohapatra said there is a slight increasing trend in September rainfall since 1980, barring less rainfall in the month in 1986, 1991, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2015 and 2019.
The IMD said that monthly average maximum temperatures are expected to remain normal to below normal in many regions of west-central, northwest and south India during September.
However, they are likely to be above normal over several parts of east-central, east and northeast India, as well as some areas of northwest India and the western coastal region.
India received 743.1 mm of rainfall between June 1 and August 31, about 6 per cent above the long-period average of 700.7 mm, IMD data show.
June rainfall was 180 mm, around 9 per cent above normal, with large surpluses in northwest and central India. July brought 294.1 mm, around 5 per cent above normal, led by a 22 per cent surplus in central India.
August added 268.1 mm, 5.2 per cent above normal.
Mohapatra said Northwest India recorded 265 mm of rainfall in August, the highest for the month since 2001 and the 13th highest since 1901.
The region has experienced above normal rainfall in all three months of the monsoon season so far. Cumulatively, northwest India has received 614.2 mm of rain between June 1 and August 31, about 27 per cent higher than the normal of 484.9 mm.
South Peninsular India recorded 250.6 mm of rainfall in August, about 31 per cent above normal, making it the third highest for the month since 2001 and the eighth highest since 1901, according to the IMD.
Cumulatively, the region received 607.7 mm of rain between June 1 and August 31 against the normal of 556.2 mm, a surplus of 9.3 per cent.
The unusually high rainfall coincided with a series of extreme weather events.
Punjab suffered its worst flooding in decades, with swollen rivers and breached canals inundating thousands of hectares of farmland and displacing lakhs of people.
In the Himalayan states of Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir, cloudbursts and flash floods triggered landslides and caused widespread damage to life and property.
The IMD attributed the surplus rain to active monsoon conditions supported by frequent western disturbances that enhanced rainfall over the region.
Mohapatra said active western disturbances between July 28 and August 14 triggered heavy to very heavy rain over the western Himalayas and adjoining plains, causing a flash flood and landslide in Uttarkashi on August 5 and major riverine floods in Uttar Pradesh and Bihar.
He said the monsoon revived rapidly from August 14, with four low-pressure systems sustaining active conditions for 15 days in the second half of the month.
The IMD chief said northwest India and adjoining western Himalayan states experienced “extremely and exceptionally heavy rainfall events” between August 21 and 27 due to successive active western disturbances and strong monsoonal winds.
He said that very heavy to extremely heavy rainfall occurred over east Rajasthan from August 22 to 24 and over Punjab and Haryana from August 23 to 26, while Jammu and Kashmir from August 23 to 27 saw landslides in Katra and severe flooding in Jammu, Punjab and parts of Rajasthan.
Exceptionally heavy rainfall was also recorded in Konkan and the ghats of Madhya Maharashtra on August 20, in east Rajasthan on August 23, in the Jammu region on August 27 and in Telangana on August 28.
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Mohapatra said the events were driven by “the slow movement of two successive very active western disturbances, interaction with remnants of monsoonal low-pressure systems, strong southerly winds with moisture incursion from the Bay of Bengal and Arabian Sea and formation of two low-pressure systems over north Bay of Bengal and their movement across central India”.