Photo Courtesy: nenews
Itanagar: Northeast India just finished its driest monsoon season since 1901. Data from the India Meteorological Department shows the region received only 1,017.1 mm of rain from June through September. This historic shortfall hit hard. Assam, Meghalaya, and Arunachal Pradesh all recorded deficient rainfall every month during the four-month stretch.
The dry spell held steady despite a few bouts of heavy rain in Assam late in September. The IMD stated that these late bursts were not enough to bridge the gap. The agency assessment noted, "These spells were not sufficient to make up for the rainfall deficit accumulated over the season."
Across the entire country, the season fared poorly as well. India saw 759.4 mm of rain, making it the 13th driest monsoon since 1901 and the fourth driest since 2001. Temperatures also spiked in September. The region hit an average of 27.95 degrees Celsius, which is 0.74 degrees above normal and the sixth-highest mean temperature for that month since 1901.
Looking ahead, the IMD predicts below-normal rainfall for most of India in October. Some areas in East India might see normal or above-normal levels. For the Northeast, temperatures will likely stay near normal as the region moves into the post-monsoon period.
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