This January has been the warmest-ever recorded over the South Peninsular India in 121 years with the average monthly minimum temperature reaching 22.33 degrees.

Meanwhile, South India recorded a prolonged wet spell for 17 days, resulting in a significantly wet month. Such rainfall added to the overall monthly rainfall in the country, which was in excess by 17 per cent with respect to the Long Period Average (LPA), the India Meteorological Department (IMD) stated in its latest monthly weather report.

Heavy and frequent rainfall events, lasting 8 to 10 days, kept the temperatures along South India above normal for most days. For three consecutive weeks, between December 31 and January 20, surplus rainfall — 807 per cent, 1036 per cent and 727 per cent — were reported mainly over Tamil Nadu, Karaikal and Puducherry.

The country also experienced the warmest January in 62 years. Recurrent western disturbances resulted in frequent precipitation on extreme north and northwest India during the beginning of the month.

Along with 1958, January’s average monthly minimum temperature recorded this year was 14.78 degrees. This even as January 1919 (15 degrees) remains the warmest ever that the country has ever recorded. Central India, too, recorded a warmer than usual January since 1982, as the average monthly minimum temperature last month was 14.8 degrees.

For the upcoming two weeks this month, the Met department has forecast rainfall activity over central India, including Jharkhand and Odisha, during February 16-19, whereas it will remain dry over remaining regions during remaining days this month.

Even though winter is nearing its draw for the season, the Met department has warned that foggy conditions will prevail over Delhi, Punjab, Haryana, Chandigarh and west Uttar Pradesh all through the remaining days of February.