Statement on Climate of India in 2020

Why in news?

• Last year was the eighth warmest since India started keeping records in 1901, according to the India Meteorological Department (IMD)’s Statement on Climate of India in 2020.

What does the statement say?

• The statement by IMD looks at temperature and rainfall trends annually.
• The annual average temperature in 2020 in the country was 0.29 degree Celsius (°C) above normal (29-year average from 1981-2010).
• The temperature during the pre-monsoon season was below normal by 0.03°C.
• But both monsoon and post-monsoon seasons were 0.43°C and 0.53°C above normal, respectively, and that contributed to warming.
• The mean temperature during winter was 0.14°C above normal.
• This is despite the cooling effect of La Nina, a global weather pattern that prevailed in 2020 and is linked to substantially below normal temperatures in winter.
• The IMD statement said 12 out of the 15 warmest years were reported between 2006 and 2020, and that the past decade (2011-2020) was the warmest decade on record.

Effect on weather patterns and disasters:

• India experienced some extreme weather events such as heavy rainfall, floods, landslide, thunderstorm, lightning, and cold waves that killed hundreds of people in 2020.
• Bihar and Uttar Pradesh were the most affected states during the year with over 350 deaths from each state due to thunderstorm, lightning and cold wave.
• Heavy rainfall and floods claimed over 600 lives from different parts of the country during pre-monsoon, monsoon and post-monsoon seasons.
• Thunderstorms and lightning also claimed over 815 lives in different parts of the country.
• Five cyclones formed over the North Indian Ocean including the Super cyclonic storm Amphan which claimed 90 lives and about 4,000 livestock mainly in West Bengal.

How does it compare to global climate patterns?

• India’s warming was significantly lower than the global average.
• The global mean temperature rise during 2020 (January to October, as per the World Meteorological Organisation’s State of the Global Climate) was 1.2°C above pre-industrial levels.

Prelims Question

Consider the following statements:
1.La Nina is generally associated with cooler winters in India.
2.Most Cyclones affecting India originate over Arabian Sea.
Which among the above statements is/are correct?
(a)1 only 
(b)2 only 
(c)Both 1 and 2
(d)Neither 1 nor 2

Answer to prelims question