According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), India experiences warmest November in 2024, breaking records since 1901. Average, minimum, and maximum temperatures across the country were, respectively, 0.84°C, 1.05°C, and 0.62°C warmer than the average for 1991–2020. In terms of mean temperature, November 2024 was the third warmest month, the seventh warmest month for lowest temperatures, and the second warmest month for maximum temperatures.

Regional Variations Highlight How India Experiences Warmest November

With a mean temperature anomaly of +1.37°C, November was the hottest month on record for the northwest. Temperatures in the central and southern peninsular areas were also higher than usual. This rising trend, which has been present since October, highlights how India’s climate varies and is consistent with larger trends in global warming. Normally a milder month, November is now on a worrying track that may make 2024 the world’s hottest year.

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Lack of Rainfall-Inducing Weather Systems

The absence of significant western disturbances influencing the northwest Indian plains and the low frequency of cyclonic disturbances are the two main causes of the above-normal temperatures, according to meteorologists. November saw the development of just two low-pressure systems and three western disturbances. Neither had a major effect on rainfall patterns, although one of the latter strengthened into Cyclone Fengal.

In northern and northwestern India, which got only 2.4 mm of rainfall—a 79.9% shortfall from normal—western disturbances had less of an impact since they passed at higher latitudes. India experiences warmest November, and this is further compounded by rainfall shortfalls; for instance, the south peninsula experienced a 37.9% deficit. Only six of the last 24 Novembers have had normal or above-average rainfall, according to the IMD, demonstrating that decreasing rainfall throughout the month has become a well-established occurrence during the previous 20 years.

Implications of Declining Rainfall

The increasing tendency of decreasing rainfall brought on by western disturbances was highlighted by the IMD. According to Director General Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, these climate shifts underscore the wider difficulties brought forth by changing weather patterns. India’s climate is becoming more variable as cyclonic and western disturbances diminish or change, which raises questions about the long-term effects on ecosystems, agriculture, and water supplies.

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