Flood in Western Himalaya, The weather is constantly changing and the situation is becoming difficult. After the scorching heat in May-June, there is now a threat of floods in many parts of the country. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday that India may receive above normal rainfall in July and heavy rainfall is likely to cause floods in river valleys in the western Himalayan regions and the central part of the country. The IMD has forecast below normal rainfall in northeastern India.
Above normal rainfall predicted in July
IMD chief Mrityunjay Mohapatra said in a digital press conference that the average rainfall in July over the country as a whole is likely to be above normal, which may be 106 per cent of the long period average (LPA) of 28.04 cm. He said that most parts of the country are likely to receive above normal rainfall except many parts of Northeast India and some parts of Northwest, East and South-East Peninsular India. The IMD chief said that the forecast of above normal rainfall certainly indicates the possibility of very heavy rainfall in some areas.
Danger of cloudburst, landslide, flood
He said, especially if we look at states like Himachal Pradesh, Uttarakhand and Jammu and Kashmir and the foothills of the western Himalayas, we are expecting more than normal rainfall. Mahapatra said that this is the area where cloudburst, heavy rains can have devastating effects in the form of landslides, floods. Many rivers also originate from here. In central India too, Godavari, Mahanadi and other river basins are expected to receive more than normal rainfall. Therefore, there is a high possibility of floods there.
Experts at the International Centre for Integrated Mountain Development, a Nepal-based intergovernmental organisation, have also warned of extreme weather events during the monsoon season for countries in the Hindu Kush Himalayan region, including Bangladesh, Bhutan, India, Nepal and Pakistan. Mandira Shrestha, programme coordinator for climate services at ICIMOD, said that despite the fact that many areas in the Hindu Kush Himalayan countries received below average rainfall last year, communities in the Hindu Kush Himalayan regions were often affected by devastating floods.
Devastating floods from melting snow
In this context, the monsoon forecast of this rain is worrying, he said. It is also contrary to the overall temperature rise trend, which we know is associated with the loss of snow and greater melting of glaciers. Melting snow is often a major factor in the devastating floods and landslides that we are seeing in our region at the moment. In the year 2023, there were devastating floods in Himachal Pradesh and Uttarakhand in July and August and in the Teesta River in the Eastern Himalayas in October.
11 percent less rain than normal in June
India recorded 11 per cent less rainfall than normal in June. Mohapatra attributed the below normal rainfall in June to the slow progress of monsoon over northern and eastern parts of the country due to lack of weather systems. The IMD said maximum temperatures are likely to remain below normal in many parts of northwest India and south peninsular India except the west coast. The weather department said temperatures are likely to remain above normal in many parts of central India, east and northeast India and the west coast.
June was the hottest month since 1901
The IMD said that minimum temperatures are expected to be above normal in many parts of the country except some parts of northwest and adjoining areas of central India and some parts of southeastern peninsular India. Mahapatra said that we are expecting good rains during the monsoon in July. The IMD said that the month of June in northwest India was the hottest month since 1901, with an average temperature of 31.73 degrees Celsius.
According to IMD data, the monthly average maximum temperature in the region was 38.02 degrees Celsius, which is 1.96 degrees Celsius above normal. The average minimum temperature was 25.44 degrees Celsius, which is 1.35 degrees Celsius above normal. The IMD chief said that the average temperature in June in northwest India was recorded at 31.73 degrees Celsius, which is 1.65 degrees Celsius above normal and the highest since 1901.