India Sets New August Temperature Record

India recorded its hottest August since record keeping began in 1901, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD). The country’s average temperature during the month rose to 28.01°C, which was 0.67°C above the normal average of 27.34°C. The average minimum temperature also touched a record high of 24.36°C, making it the highest for August since 1901.

The unusually high temperatures were accompanied by below-normal rainfall. India received 213.3 mm of rain in August, which was 16.3% below normal and the seventh-lowest August rainfall total since 2001. The IMD attributed the rainfall shortfall partly to moderate to strong El Niño conditions over the equatorial Pacific, while rainfall systems remained concentrated over some regions. The weather department has also forecast below-normal rainfall and above-normal maximum temperatures for September.