Hyderabad: Those stranded in traffic jams caused by the sudden downpours of last week would not have appreciated it, but they were experiencing the new normal in rainfall: torrential rain.
Scientists from Yale School of Forestry and Environmental Studies, who are studying meteorological data and rainfall patterns in areas where rain has caused flooding, believe that torrential rain is what the future holds.
The data analysis in their paper ‘As Monsoon and Climate Shift, India Faces Worsening Floods’ shows that the floods will increase due to unprecedentedly strong storms.
Torrential rainfall has affected many states this year. The sequence of record rainfall and flooding is the sign of a changing pattern and will be the new normal, the Yale scientists said. This is because of the increasing frequency of extreme weather conditions.
A senior weather official with the Indian Meteorological Department in Hyderabad explained, “The rain which earlier fell in a full day is now being seen in two hours. This is leading to heavy flooding and then the water is flowing away rather than seeping into the ground.”
The torrential rain is due to the development of low pressure zones, cyclonic circulation, disturbances due to extreme heat, dryness and humidity in the air.
The deluge is expected to continue as the forecast for heavy to very heavy rains across the country is till October 2. The IMD recorded 107 per cent above normal rainfall, which is the highest in a decade so far this year.
