India recorded its fifth wettest monsoon since 2001 this year, with 937.2 mm of rainfall between June and September, which was 8% above average, the India Meteorological Department has said.

At least 1,528 persons died due to extreme weather during the season, PTI reported.

Floods and heavy rain claimed 935 lives, while 570 people were killed by lightning and thunderstorms.

Madhya Pradesh recorded the highest number of deaths at 290, including 153 from floods and heavy rain and 135 from lightning strikes. This was followed by Uttar Pradesh, which saw 201 deaths, Himachal Pradesh, which recorded 141 deaths. Jammu and Kashmir reported 139 due to extreme weather and Maharashtra saw 135.

There were regional variations in the nature of extreme events. While the Himalayan states saw flash floods and landslides, Bihar, Jharkhand and Uttar Pradesh recorded a higher incidence of lightning-related deaths.

Even though the southwest monsoon officially ended on Tuesday, the weather agency has warned of 15% above-normal rainfall in October.

Monsoon withdrawal from central and eastern India would be delayed, Mrutyunjay Mohapatra, director general of the India Meteorological Department, was quoted as saying by The Indian Express.

“The overall monsoon withdrawal may be delayed and would not be completed before October 12,” Mohapatra added.

The agency also forecast normal to below-normal maximum temperatures in much of the country in October, except in the northeast, where they could be above normal. Minimum temperatures are expected to stay higher than usual due to cloudy skies.

Heavy rain in Odisha

Heavy rain lashed Odisha on Thursday as a depression in the Bay of Bengal intensified into a deep depression moving towards the coast, PTI reported. The state government deployed teams in vulnerable districts to tackle the situation, officials said.

The India Meteorological Department has issued a heavy rain alert for all 30 districts, the news agency reported.

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