IMD Confirms Hottest August on Record, Warns of Below-Normal September Rains
India recorded its hottest August since 1901 at 28.01°C. The IMD also forecasts below-normal September rainfall, likely under 91% of the long-period average.
The India Meteorological Department (IMD) has confirmed that August 2026 was the hottest August in India since records began in 1901. The mean temperature for the month stood at 28.01 degrees Celsius, significantly above the normal of 27.34 degrees Celsius.
The IMD also noted that the average minimum temperature for August was the highest ever recorded for the month, reaching 24.36 degrees Celsius against a normal of 23.68 degrees Celsius. The month also saw deficient rainfall, with the country receiving 213.3 mm — the seventh lowest since 2001.
In its monthly forecast released on Monday, the IMD said that rainfall across India in September is most likely to be below normal. The weather office expects the monthly rainfall to be less than 91 per cent of the Long Period Average (LPA), which for September is 167.9 mm based on data from 1971 to 2020.
The IMD attributed the dry conditions to strong El Nino conditions prevailing over the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Sea surface temperatures remain above normal across the central and eastern equatorial Pacific, and these conditions are expected to strengthen in the coming months.
While four low-pressure systems did form during August and collectively persisted for 26 days, their rainfall activity was largely confined to the Indo-Gangetic plains. This left many other parts of the country in a rainfall deficit.
The IMD also indicated that monthly average maximum temperatures across India are likely to remain above normal during September.