Gangtok Experiences Hottest September in Recorded History

Gangtok witnesses its hottest September since 1969, recording a temperature of 26.8°C. The Indian Meteorological Department attributes this rise to unusual weather patterns. Relief is expected from September 24 with potential rainfall. Darjeeling also experienced high temperatures. Monsoon season showed heavy rainfall initially but a deficit post-July.

Gangtok recorded a temperature of 26.8 degrees Celsius on Monday (September 23), surpassing previous records for the month since 1998, according to the Indian Meteorological Department (IMD). IMD head Gopinath Raha confirmed it as the hottest September since 1969, when temperature recordings began in Sikkim.

Raha noted that the mean temperature for September reached a record high of 24 degrees Celsius. Gangtok experienced 11 days with temperatures exceeding 25 degrees Celsius. Tadong, located downhill from Gangtok, recorded 33.1 degrees Celsius, its highest for September, while Darjeeling also reported unusually high temperatures of 28.2 degrees Celsius on September 21.

Sources anticipate relief from the heat starting September 24, with a drop in temperatures and potential rain due to a cyclonic circulation in the Bay of Bengal. The monsoon season, typically lasting until late September or mid-October, initially brought heavy rainfall but saw a deficit following July. Western disturbances normally bring additional rainfall but have been less frequent this year.

(With inputs from agencies.)