August rainfall highest since 1926: IMD
India Meteorological Department (IMD)
- The India Meteorological Department was established in 1875. It is the National Meteorological Service of the country and the principal government agency in all matters relating to meteorology and allied subjects.
- It comes under the Ministry of Earth Sciences.
IMD’s Mandate
- To take meteorological observations and to provide current and forecast meteorological information for optimum operation of weather-sensitive activities like agriculture, irrigation, shipping, aviation, offshore oil explorations, etc.
- To warn against severe weather phenomena like tropical cyclones, norwesters, dust storms, heavy rains and snow, cold and heat waves, etc., which cause destruction of life and property.
- To provide meteorological statistics required for agriculture, water resource management, industries, oil exploration and other nation-building activities.
- To conduct and promote research in meteorology and allied disciplines.
Why in the news?
- IMD noted that India received the highest rainfall in August 2020 since 1926. India received 32.7 cm rainfall in Aug 2020 which was almost 27% more than normal rainfall.
- The reason for huge rainfall was found to be long-lasting low-pressure systems, or rain-bearing winds, that formed in the Bay of Bengal and were vigorous enough to travel all the way from the south-eastern coast up to north-west India.
- Long periods of heavy rain followed by extended dry periods are a feature of climate change and are part of a general change in monsoon patterns over India.
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