Bhubaneswar: True to the saying “Climate is what we expect, weather is what we got,” the year 2024 has given the country – its hottest and wettest ever year in recent history.
For Odisha, the red flag it flagged is – the State has emerged as the heat capital in the country in the year 2024.
HERE IS A RECAP OF HOW THE WEATHER WAS IN 2024:
As per the World Meteorology Report, boosted by the El Niño, 2024 has been the warmest year on record. (SEE how the World Weather was in 2024)
RED HOT INDIA, ODISHA HEAT CAPITAL: SUMMER STATE OF AFFAIRS
- As per IMD, 2024 has unleashed the worst ever heat wave in India.
- The country saw a whopping 554 heat wave days in year 2024.
- The IMD report shows ODISHA with 37 heat wave days in year 2024 stood at the top in the country.
- The red blip for the State is Odisha is on warming spree.
- The heat wave days in 2022 were mere 11.
- The days clocked up to touch 24 in 2023.
- The core heat wave region Uttar Pradesh had recorded 32-33 days.
- Delhi recorded 30 heat wave days in 2024.
- The hot plate of India – west Rajasthan and east Rajasthan recorded 29 and 23 heat wave days, respectively.
- Another core heat wave zone – east and west Madhya Pradesh recorded a total of 26 and 24 heat wave days, respectively.
- Saurasthra and Kutch – the core heat wave area – recorded 16 heat wave days.
SUMMER CYCLONE
- The month of May saw formation of severe Cyclonic storm Remal in Bay of Bengal.
- The SC made landfall in Bangladesh and adjoining West Bengal on May 27.
- Remal’s brunt was mainly borne by Bangladesh.
- Remal is rated as the only most severe storm of the year 2024.
MONSOON SHOW
- As per IMD report, the heavy rainfall incidents in the country had been higher in 2024.
- The country in 2024 saw heaviest rainfall in last 5 –years.
- The report shows a total of 3105 incidents of heavy to very rainfall events in year 2024.
- While in 2632 events, the rainfall had been heavy (11-20cm), in 473 events rainfall had been very heavy (more than 20cm).
ODISHA: The State saw a total of around 45-50 heavy rain events in 2024 Monsoon period.
- The State, however, had recorded only 3 very heavy rainfall events in the year 2024.
- IMD report shows the State recorded uneven rainfall this monsoon season.
- June went DRY, July witnessed below normal.
- Heaviest Monsoon month for Odisha had been AUGUST, when the State had recorded a whopping 30 heavy rainfall events spread across the State
- When State Capital Bhubaneswar and Cuttack had recorded heaviest rainfall in August and September, the western, southern, central and northern regions of the State had recorded rainiest August in year 2024.
STATE OF MONSOON CYCLONE/DEPRESSION
As per the IMD report, the year 2024 saw 13 events of cyclone genesis. (See the table below)
- In the period of June – September, August had recorded one cyclonic storm, 1 deep depression, 1 depression, 1 well marked low and 2 low pressures.
- This has been the reason Odisha saw heaviest rainy month in August, as the month saw 6 cyclone genesis.
- The month of September followed with 3 cyclone genesis – 2 deep depressions and 1 low pressure.
- For this, the northern Odisha district like Balasore has witnessed floods in the month of September.
POST MONSOON CYCLONE
- Odisha, in the post monsoon season, was hit by severe Cyclone Dana.
- The storm made landfall at Habilkathi (Bhitarkanika) on October 24.
- As a consequence, the State witnessed flash flood like situation in North coastal Odisha.
- As per Odisha govt, Cyclone Dana impact was measured in 14 districts
- Flood gripped 166 blocks covering 11.63k villages affecting 41 lakh people.
- The damage due to Cyclone Dana has been estimated at Rs 600 cr.
STATE OF WINTER (DECEMBER)
- The first month of winter season (December) happens to be the first month of the 2025 winter season, which however has been the last month of year 2024.
- Though the mid-December saw mercury plummeting in Odisha below 10 deg C, IMD analysis shows the following
- Average minimum temperature during the period Dec 1-22 has been 1-2 deg C above normal for coastal, north central and western districts.
- In Kalahandi, Nabarangpur region, the minimum temperature has been 4-5 deg C above normal
- In the rest of Odisha, the minimum temperature has been 2-3 deg C above normal.
- But Maximum temperature in the State has been 1-3 deg C below normal December temperature.
- But due to recent low pressure rains, IMD data shows Odisha had recorded in range of 10-70 mm during the period of Dec 1 -22.
- As a consequence, south coastal Odisha had recorded 70% above normal rainfall in Dec 2024, and the rest of State recorded nearly 25% more than normal rainfall.
