Indo-Gangetic plains to see varied rain trends in future

Rainfall patterns over the Indo-Gangetic plains will undergo significant changes in the coming years due to climate change, a new study by Mahamana Centre of Excellence in Climate Change Research has warned.

- Soumya Pillai

The study by the centre under the department of science and technology, which projected the behaviour of rainfall patterns across the Indo-Gangetic Plains, shows that in the period spanning 2041-60, the mean monsoon rainfall recoded in June and July will reduce by around 40-70% compared with the average between 1986 and 2005.

The projections also show glaring alterations in pre- and post-monsoon rainfall trends. In the pre-monsoon season, spanning March to May, rainfall is expected to reduce by around 10-20%, the projections show. The post-monsoon season, however, is likely to increase drastically. There is expected to be an increase of around 80-170% in the October-December period by 2080-99.