According to the India Meteorological Department (IMD), the month of February will be hotter and drier than normal. People will get relief from the cold, but there is very little chance of rain in most parts of the country this month. IMD said on Friday that after a hot and dry January, most parts of India are likely to have above normal temperatures and below normal rainfall in February. 

Between 1971 and 2020, the country receives an average rainfall of 22.7 mm in the month of February. However, this time there may be a reduction of 81 percent in rainfall. IMD Director General Mrityunjay Mahapatra said that except for some areas of west-central, peninsular and north-west India, most parts of the country are likely to receive below normal rainfall.

Very little rain in January

"Minimum temperatures are expected to be above normal in February over most parts except some parts of northwest and peninsular India. Similarly, maximum temperatures are likely to be above normal over most parts except some parts of west-central and peninsular India," Mohapatra said. He said India received an average rainfall of 4.5 mm in January, which is the fourth lowest since 1901 and third lowest since 2001. The country's average temperature in January was 18.98 degrees Celsius, which was the third highest for the month since 1901, the highest after 1958 and 1990. 

It was very hot even in October

India also recorded its warmest October since 1901, with monthly average temperatures around 1.2 degrees Celsius above normal. The month of November was also the third warmest in 123 years. Only 1979 and 2023 had warmer Novembers. Earlier, the IMD had predicted that north India would receive below normal rainfall between January and March, falling to less than 86 per cent of the LPA of 184.3 mm. Northern and northwestern states such as Punjab, Haryana, Himachal Pradesh, Jammu and Kashmir, Uttarakhand and Uttar Pradesh cultivate rabi crops such as wheat, peas, gram and barley in winter (October to December) and harvest them in summer (April to June). Winter rainfall, caused mainly by western disturbances, is crucial for the growth of these crops.