The annual mean land surface air temperature averaged over India during 2020 was above normal. During the year, annual mean land surface air temperature averaged over the country was +0.290C above (1981-2010 period) average. The year 2020 was the eighth warmest year on record since nation-wide records commenced in 1901. However, this is substantially lower than the highest warming observed over India during 2016 (+0.710C). The monsoon and post-monsoon season with mean temperature anomalies of +0.430C and +0.510C respectively mainly contributed to this warming. Mean temperatures during the winter and pre-monsoon were near normal with anomaly of +0.140C and -0.030C respectively. The 2020 annual rainfall over the country as a whole was 110% of its Long Period Average (LPA) value for the period 1961-2010. The monsoon season rainfall over the country as a whole was 109% of its LPA. The seasonal rainfall during the Northeast monsoon season (October – December) over the NE Monsoon core region of the south peninsula was 110% of its LPA. All the five subdivisions of the core region except Kerala received excess/normal rainfall. During 2020, five cyclonic storms formed over the North Indian Ocean; Super cyclonic Storm AMPHAN, Very Severe Cyclonic Storms NIVAR & GATI, Severe Cyclonic Storm NISARG, and Cyclonic Storm ‘BUREVI’. Of these, NISARG & GATI formed over Arabian Sea, while the remaining 3 cyclones viz. AMPHAN, NIVAR & BUREVI formed over the Bay of Bengal.
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