In the backdrop of a changing climate, this report investigate whether the Indian summer monsoon is changing either in terms of duration or spatial coverage. Such an analysis specifically for the continental Indian region has both conceptual and societal implications, and has been lacking.

Extreme rainfall events today pose a serious threat to many populated and urbanized areas worldwide; an accurate estimate of frequency and distribution of these events can significantly aid policy planning and observation system design. We report here a first-ever high-resolution (10 KM) analysis of heavy rainfall episodes (defined as 24-hour rainfall exceeding 250 mm) over the Indian region.