Many Indian districts saw half of seasonal rainfall in 24 hours

The monsoon has been delayed this year and has not yet met its quota for June. However, many parts of the country witnessed heavy and erratic rainfall on June 25 and 26, accounting for around half of the total rainfall for the monsoon season. 

Some districts in India received 50 per cent or more of the season’s total rainfall in a single day in a few hours on June 25 and June 26, leading to a flood-like situation, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). 

Continuous rainfall of more than 50 millimetres (mm) for two hours is classified as a mini cloudburst according to the IMD. Many districts in several parts of the country witnessed mini cloudbursts on June 25 and 26. 

Also read: ‘Indian farmers should prepare for decreased rainfall conditions due to El Nino, not wait for declaration’

Bijnor district in Uttar Pradesh received 92.6 mm of rainfall between 8 am and 10 am on June 25, or ‘heavy rainfall’ as per IMD classification. The entire area came to a standstill throughout the day due to waterlogging, showed local media reports.  

Similarly, suburban areas in Mumbai in Maharashtra recorded ‘extremely heavy rainfall’ of 176.1 mm on June 25. According to the IMD, rainfall recorded in the range of 125.5 to 244.4 mm in a day is considered as extremely heavy rainfall. 

Deogarh district of Odisha recorded 106.3 mm of rainfall on June 25. This was 1,419 per cent more than the normal rainfall average of 7 mm for the day. 

The district has received a total of 1,83.1 mm of rainfall from  June 1-25, which is 27 per cent more than the season's normal of 143.7 mm. However, of the total rainfall from June 1-25, 76 per cent was received in a single day. 

Jharsuguda, another district of Odisha, recorded 97.9 mm of rainfall on June 25. This was 1,079 per cent more than the normal rainfall of 8.3 mm for that day. This district has also received a total of 163.9 mm of rainfall from June 1-25 and nearly 60 per cent of its rainfall (97.9 mm) was recorded in a single day. 

For the second consecutive day on June 26, heavy rains continued in some more districts. For example, Angul district of Odisha received 101.1 mm of rainfall in a single day, which is about 50 per cent of the total rainfall of 260.6 mm in the district so far in the season. 

Also read: Satellite data signals early hints of a looming El Nino

Kathua district in Jammu and Kashmir recorded 107.4 mm of rainfall — 2,287 per cent more than average. Mahasamund and Raipur districts of Chhattisgarh also received rainfall of 90.8 and 82.1 mm, respectively on June 26, 2023. 

Districts that received large excess rainfall on June 26, 2023

Source: IMD

Mahasamund in Chhattisgarh received 116 mm of rainfall from June 1-26. In this, 90.8 mm or 79 per cent of the rainfall was received in one day. Similarly, in Raipur district, 70.77 per cent of the 138.5 mm of rainfall so far was received in a single day. 

Excessive rainfall in a few hours of a single day can also be fatal and is a clear sign of climate change.

Read more:

• Here comes the monsoon: Expect slow progress, decreased rainfall in first 15 days of June, say experts
• Assam floods: Why is Lakhimpur district always badly hit?
• Cyclone Biparjoy: Rajasthan braces for heavy rain, floods over next three days

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