Government of India

Earth System Science Organization

Ministry of Earth Sciences
India Meteorological Department

Press: Dated: 2nd June, 2023

Subject: Climate Summary for the month of May 2023

1. Monthly Rainfall Scenario (01 to 31 May, 2023)

During May 2023, country as a whole received 67.5 mm rainfall which is 10% more
than its Long Period Average (LPA) of 61.4 mm based on data of 1971-2020. Rainfall
over homogeneous region of Northwest India (67.3 mm) was 3rd highest since 1901
after the years 1987 (95 mm) and 2021 (68.2 mm). Among the four homogeneous
region, East & northeast India received 111.3 mm of rainfall, which is 3rd lowest since
1901. Prior lowest rainfall years were 1907 (108.1 mm) and 2012 (109.6 mm).

Daily variation of the rainfall over the country as a whole during the month of May
2023 with normal based on 1971-2020 and All India rainfall percentage departure
from normal for May during 1901-2023 are shown in the figure 1(a) and 1(b)
respectively.

Fig.1 (a): Daily variation of rainfall over the country as a whole during May 2023 .

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 Fig 1(b). All India monthly rainfall percentage departure from normal based on 1971-2020
during May from 1901-2023.

The time series of area-weighted rainfall since 1901 for Northwest India and East
& northeast India are given in Fig. 2(a) and (b) respectively.

Fig.2 (a): Time series of area weighted rainfall over Northwest India for May (1901 - 2023)

Fig.2 (b): Time series of area weighted rainfall over East & Northeast India for May (1901 - 2023)

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 The monthly rainfall for May 2023 is given in the table below:

Actual Normal % Departure from

Regions
Rainfall (mm) Rainfall (mm) LPA
Country as a whole 67.5 61.4 10.0
Northwest India 67.3 34.6 94.0
Central India 31.2 19.0 64.0
South Peninsula 94.6 71.8 32.0
East & northeast India 111.3 189.9 -41.0

During this month, 17 sub divisions received large excess, 3 excess, 4 normal, 9
deficient and 3 received large deficient rainfall. The rainfall distribution expressed in
percentage departure is given in Fig.3.

Fig 3: Subdivision-wise rainfall distribution for May 2023.

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 The observed spatial distribution of rainfall during May 2023, normal rainfall
based on data of 1971 to 2020 and rainfall departures from normal during 2023 May
are given in Fig.4.

Fig 4: Observed spatial Rainfall pattern for the month of May 2023 over India and
their departure from normal based on 1971 to 2020 period.

2. Frequency of Heavy Rainfall events

During May 2023 there were many heavy rainfall events (64.5 to 115.5 mm of rainfall)
mainly in Telangana, Tamilnadu, Puducherry & Karaikal, Kerala & Mahe, Odisha, Sub
Himalayan West Bengal & Sikkim, Rajasthan, Karnataka and Assam & Meghalaya.
Very heavy rainfall (115.6 to 204.4 mm of rainfall) occurred mainly over Tamilnadu,
Puducherry, Andhra Pradesh, Telangana, Assam, Meghalaya and Goa. The location
of occurrence of heavy and very heavy rainfall events is shown in the Figure 5. Out of
total 264 events, 24 were very heavy rainfall (115.6 to 204.4 mm) and 240 were
heavy rainfall (64.5 to 115.5 mm of rainfall) events during this month.

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 o

(Only highest category of rainfall event considered for a station)

Fig 5: The location of occurrence of heavy rainfall events in May 2023.

Some stations received record heavy rainfall (24 hour). The table below shows stations which
received 24-hour record rainfall and its previous record.

24 HOUR
RECORD PREVIOUS
STATION RAINFALL DATE RAINFALL DATE STATE
IN May RECORD(mm)
2023(mm)#
ROORKEE 72.2 4 57.7 30-05-1910 Uttarakhand
ERINPURA/JAWAI DAM 77.0 29 44.2 07-05-2008 Rajasthan
DATIA 76.2 1 23.2 06-05-1981 Madhya Pradesh

# based on real time available data

3. Characteristics of Temperatures for the month of May 2023

The average maximum, average minimum and mean temperature for the country as a
whole during May 2023 were 35.03 ºC, 23.92 ºC and 29.47 ºC respectively, against
the normal of 35.17 ºC, 24.32 ºC and 29.74 ºC based on period 1981-2010. The
climatological data based on the period of 1981 to 2010 are used to calculate the
normal and hence the anomaly (Actual average temperature in 2023 - normal
temperature based on data of 1981-2010). The daily variation of maximum and
minimum temperature anomaly over the country as a whole for May 2023 is shown in
the figure 6(a) and (b). The cooler than normal temperatures occurred over the country
as a whole during many days in May 2023 mainly because of active thunderstorm
activity and frequent passage of western disturbance over north India and other
supporting synoptic scale weather systems over central and Peninsular India.
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Fig 6(a): Daily variation of maximum temperature anomaly over the country as a
whole for May 2023.

Fig 6(b): Daily variation of minimum temperature anomaly over the country as a
whole for May 2023.

Figure 7 shows time series of monthly average maximum, average minimum

and mean temperature over the country as a whole for the month of May 1901-2023.

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Fig 7: Time series of monthly average maximum, average minimum and mean
temperature over the country as a whole for the month of May 1901-2023.
Figure 8 shows time series of monthly average maximum average, average
minimum and mean temperature over the Northwest India for the month of May 1901-
2023. Over Northwest India during May 2023, the average maximum temperature was
the eighth lowest (33.53 ºC with an anomaly of -2.06 ºC) and the average minimum
temperature is the seventh lowest (20.09 ºC with an anomaly of -1.37 ºC) since 1901.
The mean temperature is the eighth lowest (26.81 ºC with an anomaly of -1.71 ºC)
since 1901.

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Fig 8: Time series of monthly average maximum, average minimum and mean
temperature over Northwest India for the month of May 1901-2023.

Figure 9 shows time series of monthly average minimum temperature over

Central India for the month of May 1901-2023. Over Central India during May 2023,
the average minimum temperature was the sixth lowest (25.20 ºC with an anomaly of -
0.74 ºC) after the years 1917(23.51 °C), 1907(24.84 °C), 1920(24.96 °C), 1968(25.06
°C), 1987(25.15 °C) since 1901.

Fig 9: Time series of monthly average minimum temperature over Central India for the
month of May 1901-2023

Figure 10 shows time series of monthly average maximum over East &
Northeast India for the month of May 1901-2023. Over East & Northeast India during
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May 2023, the average maximum temperature was the eighth highest (34.33 ºC with
an anomaly of 1.30 ºC) since 1901.

Fig 10: Time series of monthly average maximum temperature over East & Northeast India for
the month of May 1901-2023.

The Temperatures during May 2023 for all India and homogeneous regions with
its top and bottom ranks during 1901 to 2023 are given bellow;
Max Temp Min Temp Mean Temp
MAY 2023 (0C) (0C) (0C)
ACTUAL 35.03 23.92 29.47
NORMAL 35.17 24.32 29.74
ALL INDIA ANOMALY -0.14 -0.40 -0.27
Rank from TOP 63 107 90
Rank from BOTTOM 61 17 34
ACTUAL 33.53 20.09 26.81
NORMAL 35.58 21.46 28.52
NORTHWEST INDIA ANOMALY -2.06 -1.37 -1.71
Rank from TOP 116 117 116
Rank from BOTTOM 8 7 8
ACTUAL 34.33 22.61 28.47
NORMAL 33.03 22.64 27.84
EAST & NORTHEAST
ANOMALY 1.30 -0.03 0.63
INDIA
Rank from TOP 8 73 23
Rank from BOTTOM 116 51 101
ACTUAL 37.00 25.20 31.10
NORMAL 37.43 25.94 31.68
CENTRAL INDIA ANOMALY -0.43 -0.74 -0.58
Rank from TOP 85 118 110
Rank from BOTTOM 39 6 14
ACTUAL 35.03 26.12 30.58
NORMAL 34.46 25.88 30.17
SOUTH PENNINSULAR
ANOMALY 0.58 0.241 0.41
INDIA
Rank from TOP 11 40 16
Rank from BOTTOM 113 84 108

Note: Values are rounded off to nearest two decimal

The ten lowest temperature records with corresponding ranks since 1901 along
with year of occurrence for Northwest India (TMax, TMin, TMean), Central India
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 (TMin) and ten highest temperature records with corresponding ranks since 1901
along with year of occurrence for East & Northeast India (TMax) are given in the table
below;

Northwest India (May 2023) East & Northeast India (May 2023)
Year TMax Normal Anomaly Bot Rank Year TMax Normal Anomaly Top Rank
1917 30.579 35.58 -5.01 1 1972 34.92 33.03 1.89 1
1920 32.245 -3.34 2 1979 34.90 1.87 2
1924 32.468 -3.12 3 2012 34.88 1.85 3
1926 32.856 -2.73 4 1966 34.83 1.79 4
1987 33.008 -2.58 5 1960 34.70 1.67 5
1933 33.035 -2.55 6 1957 34.70 1.67 6
1982 33.303 -2.28 7 1982 34.43 1.40 7
2023 33.528 -2.06 8 2023 34.33 1.30 8
1957 33.630 -1.95 9 1922 34.29 1.26 9
1907 33.796 -1.79 10 1935 34.27 1.24 10

Northwest India (May 2023) Central India (May 2023)

Year TMin Normal Anomaly Bot Rank Year TMin Normal Anomaly Bot Rank
1920 18.448 21.46 -3.02 1 1917 23.51 25.94 -2.43 1
1924 18.956 -2.51 2 1907 24.84 -1.10 2
1917 19.205 -2.26 3 1920 24.96 -0.98 3
1987 19.577 -1.89 4 1968 25.06 -0.87 4
1986 19.918 -1.55 5 1987 25.15 -0.79 5
1982 20.028 -1.44 6 2023 25.2011 -0.73632 6
2023 20.092 -1.37 7 1971 25.2357 -0.70172 7
1965 20.119 -1.34 8 1926 25.2398 -0.69762 8
1907 20.166 -1.30 9 1933 25.2404 -0.69702 9
1979 20.203 -1.26 10 1979 25.3086 -0.62882 10

Northwest India (May 2023)

Year TMean Normal Anomaly Bot Rank
1917 24.89 28.52 -3.63 1
1920 25.35 -3.18 2
1924 25.71 -2.81 3
1987 26.29 -2.23 4
1926 26.59 -1.93 5
1982 26.67 -1.86 6
1933 26.76 -1.76 7
2023 26.81 -1.71 8
1907 26.98 -1.54 9
1977 27.10 -1.43 10

Maximum temperature was above normal by 4.4 ºC mainly over most parts of
North India and East & Northeast India and coastal parts of India. Figure 11 shows
the stations with number of days, which were above normal (>4.4 ºC) maximum
temperatures.

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Fig 11: Number of days with maximum temperature above normal (>4.4oC) over the
country for May 2023.

The observed spatial distribution of temperature pattern of monthly average

maximum, average minimum and mean temperature over India and their departures
from normal based on 1981 to 2010 period, for the month of May 2023 is given in
Figure 12.
During May 2023, there were no heat wave during 1-8 May and then in 24-31
May due to occurrence of thunderstorms and rainfall activities from supporting
synoptic systems. Date-wise analysis of met sub-division-based Heat wave condition
shows that Heat wave conditions was observed only for 2-3 days over few met sub-
divisions of the country in the month of May 2023. It was observed in isolated pockets
over West Bengal & Sikkim and Bihar during 9-11 May; Gujarat during 11-12
May; West Rajasthan during 12-13 May; Coastal Andhra Pradesh during 15-17 May;
Delhi on 22 and 23 May; south Uttar Pradesh during 21-23 May; West Rajasthan on
21 and 22 May; northeast Madhya Pradesh during 22-24 May. Hence, heat wave
conditions in the month of May 2023 were dub-dued over the country.

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 Fig 12: Observed spatial temperature pattern of monthly average maximum,
average minimum and mean temperature over India (top three from left to right)
and their departure from normal (1981 to 2010 period) for May 2023 (lower three
from left to right).

4. Chief Synoptic weather features observed during May 2023.

During May 2023, one extremely severe cyclonic storm “MOCHA” formed over Bay of
Bengal during 9 – 15 May. Track of this system is shown in Figure 13.

In addition to this, a total of 8 number of western disturbances (WD) affected the

weather over the country during this month (1 – 4 May, 4 – 11 May, 11 – 16 May, 15 –
17 May, 17- 22 May, 23 – 28 May, 27 – 28 May and 29-31 May). These western
disturbances were active and helped in triggering large-scale thunderstorms and rainfall
activities accompanied with lightning, hail storms squalls and gusty winds in many parts of
Northwest India and central India an were main reasons for below normal Maximum
temperature over the region.

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 Fig 13: Track of intense low-pressure system formed during May 2023.

5. Significant Weather Events for the month May 2023:

According to media report, during May 2023, 96 persons died, more than 115
persons were injured, more than 10 persons missing and more than 45 livestock
perished due to various weather events. The details of causalities given below, which
are based on real time media reports (Fig. 14).

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Fig. 14: Significant weather events, which caused death during May 2023 (Based on real-
time media report)

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