The country has recorded its wettest August since 1976. This year, the total rainfall recorded in the country between August 1 and 30 was 317.4 mm against a normal of 251.3 mm, making it a 26.3 per cent surplus for the month.
Data provided by India Meteorological Department (IMD) suggests that in the last 50 years, country’s August rainfall, when it surpassed 20 per cent above normal, was only on five previous occasions — 1970 (26 per cent), 1973 (27.8 per cent), 1975 (21 per cent), 1976 (28.4 per cent) and 1983 (23.8 per cent).
As on August 30, the season’s rainfall for the country was 10 per cent above normal. It is particularly significant after July ended remaining 9 per cent short of normal rainfall.
This deficiency was mainly due to below normal rain recorded over the Central India region — Odisha, Chhattisgarh, Madhya Pradesh, Maharashtra and Gujarat. The phenomenal recovery of rainfall over this region is visible as it swung from -22.3 per cent to +61.5 per cent between July and August.
“Since August 5, there were multiple low pressure systems formed in the Bay of Bengal, which kept the Southwest monsoon in active to vigorous phase. Heavy to very heavy rain was reported across Central India, which is a fairly large area,” said an official from Regional Meteorological Centre, Delhi.
July saw formation of no low pressure system. As a result, three consecutive weeks starting July 12, the weekly rainfall departures for the country were -12 per cent, -29 per cent and -13 per cent. The time-to-time formation of low pressure systems are vital during monsoon, as their movement over Central India brings rain over this large area.
In stark contrast, consecutive low pressure systems formed during this month. This resulted in strengthening of the monsoon winds causing bountiful rain over Central India during all the following three weeks, thereafter.
So much so, last week, the rainfall recorded over this region was 141 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA).
Enhanced rainfall activity was recorded this month over south and northwest India regions as well. In August, south and northwest India recorded rainfall surplus by 36.7 per cent and 1.9 per cent, respectively. After a deluge caused by severe rain last month, the northeast region experienced a dry August as the monthly rain, here, ended remaining 19.1 per cent below normal.
Rivers in spate, alert in states
Odisha
Waters of the Mahanadi inundated several villages in coastal Odisha Sunday, officials said. Special Relief Commissioner P K Jena said flood waters have submerged many villages in Kanasa and Delang blocks in Puri district.
The river also flooded villages in Banki area of Cuttack district and affected road connectivity.
Mahanadi is in spate following heavy downpour in its upper catchment areas in Chhattisgarh and flow of huge volume of water into the Hirakud reservoir.
The state government has deployed 15 units of NDRF, 14 teams of Odisha Disaster Rapid Action Force and 119 teams of Fire Service in the low-lying areas for rescue operations,
Special Relief Commissioner Jena said.
Madhya Pradesh
A 35-year-old woman was killed and three others injured when a house collapsed after heavy rain at Sehore in Madhya Pradesh on Sunday. Nearly 60 stranded people were airlifted from a village in the district by an IAF helicopter, officials said.
Following heavy rain over the last couple of days, nearly 7,000 people have been rescued across the state so far and 170 relief camps set up in affected districts, said Manish Rastogi, Principal Secretary to Chief Minister Shivraj Singh Chouhan.
Gujarat
Two persons died in rain-related incidents in Gujarat on Sunday as the state recorded over 113 per cent of its annual average rainfall this season. Fourteen people have died in rain-related incidents over the past two days as the state continues to receive heavy downpour. More than 3,850 people have been evacuated from Bharuch, Narmada and Vadodara districts.
As many as 149 roads, including one national highway and 15 state highways, were closed.
Maharashtra
More than 14,000 people were evacuated after heavy rainfall over the past two days led to flooding in several tehsils of Nagpur district of Maharashtra, officials said on Sunday.
The administration had to call in the NDRF and the Army to rescue people at some places, they said. “Till Sunday noon, 14,234 people were evacuated from 36 affected villages in Nagpur district as incessant downpour in the last two days resulted in flow of water from dams and rivers,” Nagpur district collector Ravindra Thakre said in a statement. Several villages in Gadchiroli district witnessed flooding too, officials said.
Uttar Pradesh
Three sisters were killed in the Raipura area of UP’s Chitrakoot district when a wall of their thatched house collapsed on them after heavy rain, officials said on Sunday. Sub Divisional Magistrate of Mau tehsil Raj Bahadur said, “Following heavy rain on Saturday evening, a wall of the thatched house of one Ashok Verma collapsed, killing his daughters Ritu (12), Shivdevi (9) and Pooja (5). By the time the villagers removed the debris, the girls had died.” —ENS & PTI
Enhanced rainfall activity was recorded this month over south and northwest India regions as well. 
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