Explained: How extreme rainfall events in India have been steadily increasing over the past decade or so
India's monsoon season is expected to bring below-normal rainfall this year, with only 92% of normal rainfall forecasted, but extreme rainfall events have been increasing over the past decade. The number of extremely heavy rainfall events has been consistently above 100 every year since 2017, with 181 events recorded in 2024.
India is expected to receive only 92% of normal rainfall this monsoon season. Despite this, extreme rainfall events have been increasing over the past decade. The India Meteorological Department (IMD) classifies rainfall above 21 cm in a 24-hour period as extremely heavy rain. The number of such events has been consistently above 100 every year since 2017, with 181 events recorded in 2024 and 160 in 2023. Major cities like Delhi, Mumbai, and Chennai have seen at least one major flooding event in the last 10 years. The increasing intensity of extreme rainfall events is a cause of worry, with rains happening in shorter and more intense spells than earlier.
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