2019 7th warmest year recorded in country since 1901: IMD

2019 was recorded as the seventh warmest year since 1901, but the heating was substantially lower than the highest warming observed in 2016, the India Meteorological Department (IMD) said on Monday. In its report for 2019, the IMD said 1,562 people died due to extreme weather events -- avalanches floods, heat wave and thunderstorms. The figure is based on media reports and government agencies.

 

Bihar was the most adversely affected state during the year, which reported about 650 lives due to heavy rain and floods, heat wave, lightning, thunderstorm and hailstorm, according to the IMD.

 

The report said the year saw eight cyclonic storms formed over the Indian seas. Arabian Sea contributed five out of these eight cyclones against the normal of one per year, which equals the previous record of 1902 for the highest frequency of cyclones over the Arabian Sea.

 

This year also witnessed development of more intense cyclones over the Arabian Sea.

 

The five warmest years on record are 2016 (+0.71 degree Celsius), 2009 (+0.541 degree Celsius), 2017 (+0.539 degree Celsius), 2010 (+0.54 degree Celsius) and 2015 (+0.42 degree Celsius).

 

The IMD said 11 out of 15 warmest years were during the recent past fifteen years (2005-2019).

 

"The average temperature over India during the year 2019 was above normal. During the year, annual mean surface air temperature, averaged over the country, was +0.36 degree Celsius above (1981-2010 period) average. The year 2019 was the seventh warmest year on record since nation-wide records commenced in 1901.

 

"However, the warming during 2019 was substantially lower than the highest warming observed over India during 2016 (+0.71 degree Celsius)," it added.

 

The annual rainfall in 2019 over the country as a whole was 109 per cent of its long period average (LPA) value for the period 1961-2010.

 

The IMD said the country also experienced other high impact weather events like extremely heavy rainfall, heat and cold waves, snowfall, thunderstorm, dust storm, lightning and floods.

 

Heavy rain and flood related incidents reportedly claimed over 850 lives from different parts of the country during the pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons.

 

Of these, 306 lives were reported from Bihar alone, 136 from Maharashtra, 107 from Uttar Pradesh, 88 from Kerala, 80 from Rajasthan and 43 from Karnataka.

 

Heat-wave conditions, which prevailed over the northeastern and central parts the country during the period March-June, claimed about 350 lives.

 

Of these, 293 lives were reported from the worst affected state of Bihar alone during June and 44 lives were reported from Maharashtra.

 

Lightning and thunderstorm reportedly claimed over 380 lives from central, northeastern, northwestern and peninsular parts of the country during pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons.

 

Of these, 125 lives were reported from Jharkhand,73 from Bihar, 51 from Maharashtra and 24 each from Madhya Pradesh and Rajasthan.

 

Snowfall and avalanche related incidents claimed 33 lives from Jammu and Kashmir and 18 from Leh.

 

Cold wave claimed 28 lives from different parts of Uttar Pradesh during last week of December, it said.