The year 2021 was the fifth warmest year in India since 1901, with the country recording its annual mean air temperature at 0.44 degree Celsius above normal. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) on Friday released its annual statement on climate of India for the year 2021, which is found to be the fifth warmest year after 2016, 2009, 2017 and 2010 during the last 121 years (1901-2021).
As per the annual statement, as many as 1,750 deaths were reported across India due to extreme weather events such as floods, cyclonic storms, heavy rain, landslides, lightning, among others, during the year. Maharashtra was the most adversely affected state during 2021, which reportedly claimed more than 340 deaths mainly due to extremely heavy rainfall, floods, landslide, lightning, cyclonic storms and cold-wave events.
“The annual mean air temperature for the country was recorded at 0.44 degree Celsius above normal. The warm temperature during winter and post-monsoon season mainly contributed to this," it said.
“In 2016, the mean air temperature was 0.71°C higher than normal; 0.55°C in 2009; 0.54°C in 2017 and 0.53°C in 2010. In the 121 years between 1901 and last year, the mean temperature rose by 0.63°C above normal,” the report said.
The report showed that 11 out of 15 warmest years were during the recent fifteen years (2007-2021).The past decade (2011-2020/ 2012- 2021) was also the warmest decade on record with the decadal averaged annual mean temperature anomaly ( Actual-LPA) of 0.34 degree Celsius/ 0.37 degree Celsius. The country averaged mean monthly temperatures were warmer than normal during all the months of the year except four months (April, May, June, and November).
"The winter (January to February) and post-monsoon (October to December) seasons with all India mean temperature anomalies of 0.78 degree Celsius and 0.42 degree Celsius respectively mainly contributed to this warming," it said.
Also, the country last year witnessed a rise in the annual rainfall, which was 105% of its long-period average (LPA). Rainfall during the southwest monsoon season, from June to September, was normal at 99% of the LPA. Notably, the northeast monsoon period saw rainfall at 171% of the LPA - record highest since 1901.
Speaking on the 147th foundation day of the IMD, Union Minister of State for Earth Sciences, Jitendra Singh on Friday said the IMD is going to play a major role in India's crusade for climate preservation at international fora.
The data showed that heavy rainfall and flood-related incidents claimed over 750 lives last year, while thunderstorms and lightning killed at least 780 people in different parts of the country.
There were five cyclonic storms in 2021 - Tauktae over the Arabian Sea (May 14-19); Yaas over the Bay of Bengal (May 23-28); Shaheen over the Arabian Sea (September 29-October 4); Gulab over the Bay of Bengal (September 24-28) and most recently, Jawad over the Bay of Bengal (December 2-6). The most devastating of them was Tauktae, which slammed the Saurashtra coastline on May 17, eventually claiming at least 144 lives.