The deep depression originating from the Bay of Bengal unleashed severe weather across multiple Indian states, demonstrating how a single meteorological system can trigger wide-ranging climate anomalies—from massive coastal evacuations and flash floods to an abrupt unseasonal chill in the national capital.
Path of Destruction and Coastal Impact
Making landfall near the Odisha-Andhra Pradesh coast, the robust weather system struck eastern India with relentless force. Odisha bore the immediate brunt of the deluge, prompting authorities to shift over 100,000 residents across 13 vulnerable districts to more than 500 specially established relief camps. Balasore district emerged as one of the hardest-hit zones, affecting upwards of 350,000 people and forcing the emergency evacuation of more than 67,000 individuals from low-lying terrain. The mounting water levels in river basins compelled administrators to open 28 gates of the massive Hirakud Dam to manage reservoir capacities safely.
Regional Rainfall Departures and Disparities
Between September 23 and 28, the deep depression tracked inland, depositing staggering quantities of rain over central and northern states. Meteorological statistics highlighted extreme departures from normal precipitation patterns during this window:
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Uttar Pradesh: Registered an astronomical 543.8% excess rainfall, accompanied by heavy storms that claimed 56 lives, injured 46 people, and damaged over 1,000 structures.
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Chhattisgarh: Recorded a 498% excess rainfall departure.
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Odisha: Logged a 457.9% excess rainfall surge.
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Uttarakhand: Noticed a sharp departure of 399.9%, triggering high flash-flood alerts in hilly terrain.
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Bihar: Experienced extensive waterlogging and evacuations under a 101.8% excess rainfall margin.
Conversely, this weather phenomenon exposed deep geographical disparities across the country. While northern and eastern belts battled torrential flooding, regions like Haryana faced an 82.1% rainfall deficit, and Maharashtra confronted a severe 57.2% deficit, forcing the state government to declare drought conditions across roughly 74% of its administrative circles (affecting 265 out of 358 talukas).
Shift to Delhi’s Unseasonal Chill
As the remnants of the depression pushed further north, they collided with cooler atmospheric currents affecting northwestern plains. Although the southwest monsoon officially withdrew from New Delhi on September 23, the subsequent moisture influx and overcast skies drastically altered the capital’s thermal profile. On September 27, the Safdarjung meteorological observatory recorded a minimum temperature of 21 degrees Celsius. According to India Meteorological Department records, this marked Delhi’s second-lowest September minimum temperature since 2001, sitting just behind the 20.8 degrees Celsius recorded in September 2008, bringing an unusually early, shivering precursor to the autumn season.
