India received 645 heavy rains, 168 very heavy rains in Nov: IMD

The country saw 645 events of heavy rainfall and 168 events of very heavy rainfall in November, the highest in the month in five years, the India meteorological department said on Wednesday.

Peninsular India reported most of the extremely heavy to very heavy rainfall events which claimed 44 lives in Andhra Pradesh, 16 in Tamil Nadu, 15 in Karnataka and three in Kerala.

The IMD said India recorded 11 extremely heavy rainfall (more than 204.5 mm) events this November, equalling the number reported last year.

The country reported zero, four and one event of extremely heavy rainfall in November in 2019, 2018 and 2017, respectively.

The country saw 645 events of heavy rainfall (64.5 mm to 115.5 mm) and 168 events of very heavy rainfall (115.6 mm to 204.5 mm) in November, the highest in the last five years, according to the IMD's data.

To put things in perspective, the number of heavy rainfall events this November was more than the total such events in the last four years -- 247 in 2020; 116 in 2019; 135 in 2018 and 139 in 2017.

The met office also said peninsular India gauged 160 per cent more rainfall -- 232.7 mm against the average of 89.5 mm -- in November, the highest in the month since 1901.

The country as a whole received 56.5 mm of rainfall against the normal of 30.5 mm -- an excess of 85.4 per cent -- in November.

Five low-pressure systems in November this year against the average of 2.4 is the reason behind the copious rainfall in peninsular India this time, officials said.

Peninsular India comprises five meteorological subdivisions -- Tamil Nadu, Puducherry and Karaikkal; coastal Andhra Pradesh and Yanam; Rayalaseema; Kerala and Mahe, and south interior Karnataka.

The IMD said the region is most likely to see above-normal rainfall (more than 132 per cent of the long period average) in December.

Based on the data of the 1961-2010 period, the long period average of rainfall in peninsular India in December is 44.54 mm.

The IMD said below-normal rainfall is most likely over most areas of northwest India and some parts of central and northeast India. Normal rainfall is most likely over the remaining parts of the country.