India sees heaviest May rainfall since 1901: IMD details how much every state received
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The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has reported that May 2025 saw the highest average rainfall in the country since records began in 1901. The nation received 126.7 mm of rain on average last month, more than double the usual amount for May.This heavy rainfall was driven by the early arrival of the southwest monsoon, which brought continuous showers to southern and eastern parts of India. The IMD confirmed the record rainfall in a post on X (formerly Twitter), saying, "The average monthly rainfall for May 2025 over All-India (126.7 mm) and Central India (100.9 mm) was highest since 1901."According to the official IMD statement, the rainfall was 106% above the Long Period Average (LPA) of 61.4 mm for May. The southern region of India recorded 199.7 mm, making it the second-highest May rainfall since 1901, just behind 201.4 mm in 1990. The northwest region saw its 13th highest rainfall since 1901, while the eastern and northeast regions had their 29th highest.In total, 25 subdivisions across India experienced large excess rainfall, five had excess rainfall, and six saw normal levels during May 2025.The heaviest rainfalls, exceeding 204.4 mm, were recorded in several areas including the West Coast, Assam and Meghalaya, Sub-Himalayan West Bengal and Sikkim, Mizoram, Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikal, Madhya Maharashtra, and South Interior Karnataka.Other regions such as Arunachal Pradesh, Bihar, Coastal Andhra Pradesh, East Rajasthan, Haryana, Chandigarh, Delhi, and more experienced very heavy rainfall between 115.6 mm and 204.4 mm. Heavy rains between 64.5 mm and 115.5 mm fell over the Andaman and Nicobar Islands, Chhattisgarh, East Madhya Pradesh, Gujarat, Himachal Pradesh, Jharkhand, Odisha, Uttarakhand, and other states.The IMD also noted seven Western Disturbances, weather systems that cause rain and storms, affected northern and central India in May, leading to frequent thunderstorms, gusty winds, and hailstorms.Temperatures across India were cooler than usual in May. The average maximum temperature was 35.08°C, which is 1.52°C below normal. The average minimum temperature was 24.07°C, slightly lower than usual, and the overall mean temperature was 29.57°C, 0.81°C below the average for 1991-2020.A notable highlight was the early arrival of the Southwest Monsoon over Kerala on May 24, which was eight days ahead of its usual onset date on June 1.This early and heavy rainfall will have significant effects on agriculture, water resources, and daily life across the country in the coming months.Inputs from ANI
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