India set for wetter September; IMD warns of flash floods and landslides

'AUGUST RAINFALL IN NORTHWEST INDIA HIGHEST SINCE 2001'

- MPOST BUREAU

India is bracing for above-normal rainfall in September, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Sunday, capping a monsoon season already marked by extreme weather events, floods, and landslides across multiple regions.

The IMD's latest forecast indicates that the country is likely to receive more than 109 per cent of the long-period average (167.9 mm) for September. Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra cautioned that this could intensify risks in vulnerable states.

"Many rivers originate in Uttarakhand. So, heavy rainfall means many rivers will be flooded and it will impact cities and towns downstream," Mohapatra said during an online briefing. He added that flash floods and landslides could disrupt life in the hill state as well as in Delhi, south Haryana and north Rajasthan. Heavy showers are also expected in the upper catchment of the Mahanadi river in Chhattisgarh.

The IMD chief noted that September rainfall has shown a rising pattern since the 1980s, with exceptions in years such as 1986, 1991, 2001, 2004, 2010, 2015 and 2019.

One reason, he explained, is that the normal withdrawal of the southwest monsoon from Rajasthan has shifted from September 1 to September 17.

"September is a transitional month when the season moves towards the post-monsoon phase. With the withdrawal delayed, the chances of interaction between the monsoon and western disturbances rise.

The frequency of these disturbances also increases as winter approaches," Mohapatra said.