The year 2021 was the fifth warmest in India since 1901, the India Meteorological Department said in its annual release on the country’s climate for the last year. In 2021, the annual mean temperature was 0.44 degree Celsius above normal, the weather department said in its release.

“The warm temperature during winter and post-monsoon season mainly contributed to this,” it said

The years 2016, 2009, 2017 and 2010 were warmer than the last year ever since the weather department started maintaining the records in 1901.

Annual mean land surface air temperature anomalies averaged over India for the period 1901-2021 (Source: India Meteorological Department)

The country also reported 1,750 deaths due to extreme weather events such as floods, cyclonic storms, heavy rain, landslides, lightning in 2021, the India Meteorological Department said. As many as 787 people died during the year due to thunderstorms and lightning while 759 people died in heavy rainfall and flood-related incidents.

The annual rainfall in the country was 105% of its long-period average, which is the average rainfall in the country over a 50-year period.

The country received normal (99% of the long-period average) rainfall during the “principal rainy season” during June to September. However, in the post-monsoon season between October and December, rainfall in the country was above normal (144% of the long-period average).