Himachal records 173% excess rainfall, 14th highest since 1901

Shimla: Even as the monsoon this year has broken many records, the rainfall data released by the Shimla Meteorological Centre on Friday puts the month of October as the wettest in the decade, with almost 173 per cent excess rainfall in Himachal Pradesh.

The state received a significant excess of precipitation, totalling 68.5 mm, which is 173 more than the normal rainfall of 25.1 mm expected for October 2025, according to a detailed analysis conducted by the Centre.

The month’s rainfall was the 14th highest since 1901 and the highest since 2005, while the record remains 1955, when the state received 413.5 mm.

Officials at the Centre attributed the unusual surge in rainfall to two successive, intense western disturbances that struck the state between October 6 and 8.

These systems transformed what is typically a dry post-monsoon period into a spell marked by heavy precipitation and frequent thunderstorms.

The breakup reveals that Himachal Pradesh has received dry weather during many days of October with weak activity on many days; normal activity on 6 days—dated 01st, 03rd, 05th, 09th, 22nd, and 24th October 2025; active activity on 1 day (dated 06th October 2025); and vigorous activity on 2 days, i.e., 07th and 08th October 2025.

The overall data reveal that nearly every district in the state experienced significantly above-normal

rainfall during the month. Bilaspur saw the sharpest spike, recording 92.6 mm of rain against the usual 13 mm—an extraordinary 613 per cent increase over the average

Thereafter, the district of Solan followed with a 340 per cent excess, while Mandi, Kangra, Una, Sirmaur, Kullu, and Hamirpur also recorded more than double their normal rainfall.