KOCHI: Nearly half of India witnessed extreme rainfall during southwest monsoon of 2025. According to a report by Climate Trends released on Friday, 45% of India’s landmass experienced extreme rainfall during this season.In the last 10 years, from 2016 to 2025, five years registered above-normal rainfall, two years recorded normal rainfall and three years witnessed below-normal rainfall in the country. It stated that southwest monsoon of 2025 recently concluded with ‘above-normal’ rainfall, amounting to 108% of the long-period average (LPA). This is the second consecutive year in last decade to record above-normal rains.West Coast has the second biggest contribution to the total monsoon rainfall. While Konkan and Goa made a significant contribution, top performer Kerala reported normal rainfall but, on the negative side, with a deficit of -13%. State recorded 1,752.8mm of rainfall during the four months against the normal of 2,018.6mm.Wayanad, which was affected by landslides last year, reported the highest rainfall deficiency of -36%, followed by Idukki at -35% and Malappuram at -27%.Increased sea surface temperature in Arabian Sea and Bay of Bengal led to greater moisture loading or higher evaporation, making rainfall events extreme. “Monsoon seasons are not the same anymore. The last 10 years recorded normal to above-normal rainfall, with the latter being more prominent. Monsoon amplification and intensification are directly linked to global warming. Global warming became the biggest driver of monsoon now. The influence of El Niño and La Niña has been decreasing in the global warming era. The number of rainy days has decreased, but the quantum of rainfall has increased. The daily quantum of rainfall underwent a significant change,” said K J Ramesh, former director general, IMD.“Behavioural patterns of monsoon systems have changed drastically, altering rainfall patterns as well. We now see low-pressure areas spending more days than their average period over the land, maintaining their strength. This is mainly because of increased and continuous moisture feed over the land. Not only have extreme rainfall events increased, but there has also been a rise in cloudburst-like conditions. This was not the case earlier,” said Mahesh Palawat, vice-president, meteorology and climate change, Skymet Weather.
