by NEW DELHI: The year, 2021, was the fifth warmest year in India since nation-wide records commenced in the country in 1901, said India Meteorological Department (IMD) in its ‘Climate of India during 2021’ report. The annual compilation, released on Friday, also shows that the country had reported loss of 1,750 lives due to extreme weather events last year with Maharashtra being the most adversely affected state reporting 350 deaths.
Lightning and thunderstorms took the highest lives – 787 – followed by heavy rains, floods and landslides that caused deaths of 759 people. Cyclones caused 172 deaths in different states in 2021.
On warming phenomena, the report shows that 11 out of 15 warmest years in the country were during the recent 15 years (2007-2021) with highest warming being observed during 2016 when it was 0.71 degree Celsius above the long period average (LPA) based on 1981-2010 period. The annual mean land surface air temperature averaged over India during 2021 was 0.44 degree C above the LPA.
“The winter (January to February) and post-monsoon (October to December) seasons with all India mean temperature anomalies (actual-LPA temperature) of +0.78 degree C and +0.42 degree C respectively mainly contributed to this warming,” said the Met department in its report explaining how the relatively less colder winter last year primarily contributed to the overall high mean temperature in the year.
However, the all-India mean temperatures during the other two seasons such as pre-monsoon (March to May) and monsoon (June to September) were also “above normal” with anomalies of +0.35 degree C and +0.34 degree C, respectively. India’s mean surface temperature appears to be in sync with the rise in the global mean surface temperature. The 2021 annual rainfall in India was 105% of its LPA based on the 1961-2010 period.
The IMD also compiled the Standardised Precipitation Index -used for monitoring drought conditions.
Lightning and thunderstorms took the highest lives – 787 – followed by heavy rains, floods and landslides that caused deaths of 759 people. Cyclones caused 172 deaths in different states in 2021.
On warming phenomena, the report shows that 11 out of 15 warmest years in the country were during the recent 15 years (2007-2021) with highest warming being observed during 2016 when it was 0.71 degree Celsius above the long period average (LPA) based on 1981-2010 period. The annual mean land surface air temperature averaged over India during 2021 was 0.44 degree C above the LPA.
“The winter (January to February) and post-monsoon (October to December) seasons with all India mean temperature anomalies (actual-LPA temperature) of +0.78 degree C and +0.42 degree C respectively mainly contributed to this warming,” said the Met department in its report explaining how the relatively less colder winter last year primarily contributed to the overall high mean temperature in the year.
However, the all-India mean temperatures during the other two seasons such as pre-monsoon (March to May) and monsoon (June to September) were also “above normal” with anomalies of +0.35 degree C and +0.34 degree C, respectively. India’s mean surface temperature appears to be in sync with the rise in the global mean surface temperature. The 2021 annual rainfall in India was 105% of its LPA based on the 1961-2010 period.
The IMD also compiled the Standardised Precipitation Index -used for monitoring drought conditions.
