Folks transfer throughout an inundated space after monsoon rains in Prayagraj on August 31, 2026.
| Photograph Credit score: PTI
India is more likely to expertise below-normal rainfall in September, with the India Meteorological Division (IMD) on Monday (August 31, 2026) forecasting rainfall throughout the nation to be no less than 9% wanting the long-period common of 167.9 mm. This comes after India skilled the most well liked August since 1901.
Many elements of the nation are anticipated to stay drier than regular, though elements of northwest, northeast, east, east-central India and remoted areas of southeast peninsular India may obtain “regular to above-normal rainfall”.
September brings in a couple of fifth of the June-September monsoon rain, lower than July’s 32% and August’s 29%. Lately, September rainfall has seen a relative uptick. As of August 31, India’s cumulative monsoon rainfall was about 14% under regular, with central India in surplus however the northwest, east and northeast, and south peninsula all recording deficits. The shortfall was significantly pronounced within the east and northeast, and within the southern peninsula.
IMD’s outlook at a press briefing comes on the again of a dry August. India acquired 213.3 mm of rain in August, the seventh-lowest since 2001. The nation’s imply temperature reached 28.01°C, or about 0.67°C above regular. The common minimal temperature, at 24.36°C, was additionally the best on file.
IMD Director-Normal Mrutyunjay Mohapatra defined this as a consequence of the continuing El Niño, which dries out the environment and raises temperatures. Nevertheless, the month was not uniformly dry, with repeated low-pressure programs bringing heavy rain throughout the Indo-Gangetic Plains and elements of central and jap India.
For September, the IMD expects above-normal most temperatures over most of India and above-normal minimal temperatures over most areas, including to the prospect of a heat, comparatively dry finish to the monsoon.
4 low-pressure programs, precursors to cyclonic storms and, within the Indian context, principally originating within the Bay of Bengal, persevered for a mixed 26 days in August. That is considerably longer than the climatological common of 16.3 low-pressure days. Nevertheless, their rainfall exercise was largely confined to the Indo-Gangetic Plain. The programs repeatedly shaped over the Bay of Bengal, moved west-northwest, and weakened over central and northern India.
Frequent Western Disturbances – extra-tropical storms originating within the Mediterranean – additionally interacted with the monsoon circulation and low-pressure or cyclonic circulations, serving to focus intense rainfall over jap, east-central and elements of northwestern India relatively than producing a extra widespread monsoon revival.
The IMD’sfashions point out that El Niño situations are more likely to intensify in the course of the the rest of the 2026 southwest monsoon season.
The IMD’s July 31 outlook for August had indicated “below-normal” rainfall over a lot of the nation, and stated this “matched” observations over many areas. The numerous misses had been over the Indo-Gangetic Plain and southeast peninsular India, the place rainfall was increased than the forecast instructed, on the again of persistent ‘low stress’ programs.
Revealed – August 31, 2026 10:37 pm IST
